PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Michael Saunders was at LECOM Park on Friday morning. He had been a Pirate for less than 48 hours. Shortly after the Pirates’ game concluded Friday, Saunders was a Kansas City Royal.
The Royals announced that they’d signed Saunders to a minor league contract before the Pirates said they had released him. The acquisition of Corey Dickerson from the Tampa Bay Rays made Saunders’ chances of making the roster — already no given considering he was competing with five other players for playing time in left field — less likely.
Saunders flew from Denver to Pirate City on Wednesday, where he agreed on a deal.