SF Giants May Have Quietly Fleeced the Royals in the Mike Yastrzemski Trade — The One-Sided Heist That Has MLB Fans Buzzing

Jun 6, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Mike Yastrzemski (18) looks at home plate umpire Paul Clemons after a challenge called against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

The SF Giants made two trades right at the deadline last year by dealing Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees and Mike Yastrzemski to the Kansas City Royals. It seems pretty clear the Giants won the trade with the Yankees given how badly Doval has struggled and it’s becoming more obvious that the Giants quietly fleeced the Royals in the Yaz trade.

It was very sad to see Yastrzemski go to another team last year but the Giants limped their way into the trade deadline and Yastrzemski was set to be a free agent so the front office didn’t really have a choice. They dealt Yastrzemski to Kansas City in exchange for right-handed pitcher Yunior Marte who was the No. 20 prospect in the Royals’ organization.

He is an interesting prospect with a lot of upside at the age of 22 and he’s been quite impressive ever since joining San Francisco’s organization. Last year with the San Jose Giants he pitched five games and had a 3.60 ERA in 20 inning work while striking out 17 batters.

He began 2026 in High-A with the Eugene Emeralds and continued to put up some solid numbers. In nine appearances and 43 and 1/3 innings he had a 3.74 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 19 walks.

That earned him a promotion to Double-A Richmond where he’s made a good first impression. In two starts for the Flying Squirrels he has a 2.79 ERA in 9 and 2/3 innings and has struck out 12 batters while allowing just three walks.

He is steadily moving through the system and it wouldn’t be a huge shock if he earned a promotion to Triple-A perhaps later this season or maybe begins next season with the Sacramento River Cats.

Giants could potentially have a solid bullpen arm in Yunior Marte

Marte is an intriguing prospect because he is currently being developed as a starting pitcher but it wouldn’t be a shock if he ends up being a reliever one day. He needs to improve his command a bit as the walk rate has been a little high in the minors but he’s got a fastball with decent velocity and two secondary pitches in the slider and splitter.

He is eligible for the Rule 5 draft after the 2026 season so maybe the Giants are trying to see if he is a guy worth protecting by adding him to the 40-man roster. One hopes they can keep him because he seems like a promising arm who could make an impact at the big league level potentially as early as 2027.

Yastrzemski was most likely always going to depart the Giants after 2025 so they were wise to at least get something for him and in the process they may have quietly fleeced the Royals and gotten a promising young pitcher.