Royals Outright Former Top Prospect Drew Waters to Triple-A Omaha

Drew Waters, the former top-100 prospect who anchored the Atlanta Braves' farm system before landing in Kansas City, was outrighted to the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers on March 29 after the Royals removed him from their 40-man roster.

The move originated four days earlier when Kansas City designated Waters for assignment on March 25 as the club finalized its Opening Day lineup. With his minor-league options fully exhausted, the Royals were required to expose him to waivers before routing him to Triple-A. No team filed a claim, and the outright was officially logged on March 29, slotting Waters into Omaha as a non-roster depth piece.

The transaction reflects a career arc that has struggled to match its early promise. Acquired from Atlanta in 2022, Waters never established himself as a reliable offensive contributor at the MLB level, posting a career slash line of .233/.296/.349 in his big-league opportunities with Kansas City. That production line, thin on on-base percentage and light on power, gave the Royals limited justification for protecting a roster spot when Opening Day decisions became consequential.

For the Storm Chasers, Waters arrives as an experienced outfielder capable of covering center or a corner spot, adding genuine big-league credibility to Omaha's depth chart. The assignment gives Waters something he has lacked consistently: regular at-bats. Sustained playing time against Triple-A competition represents his clearest path to rebuilding his offensive profile and positioning himself for a recall if Kansas City needs outfield reinforcements during the season.

The fact that he cleared waivers unclaimed is its own commentary on his current standing around the league. A strong showing in Omaha is no longer optional; it is the only argument Waters has left to make.