Royals add former Blue Jays reliever Justin Topa on minor league deal
The Kansas City Royals have strengthened their pitching depth by signing veteran right-hander Justin Topa to a minor league contract after his recent release by the Toronto Blue Jays. The move carries little risk and gives the club another experienced bullpen option.
According to MLB.com’s transactions tracker, the agreement was finalized on Tuesday, with the 35-year-old assigned to the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. Topa became a free agent after the Blue Jays released him from his minor league contract on Sunday.
Topa opened the 2026 season with the Minnesota Twins, making 23 relief appearances. He posted an 8.05 ERA over 19 innings while striking out 12 batters. His 13% strikeout rate and 12% walk rate were both below league average, though he continued to generate ground balls effectively with a 54.4% ground-ball rate.
The Twins designated Topa for assignment before releasing him in May. He then signed a minor league deal with Toronto on May 30 and joined Triple-A Buffalo a few days later. In eight outings with the Bisons, Topa recorded a 3.38 ERA across eight innings, allowing four earned runs while collecting four strikeouts before becoming available once again.
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