The Kansas City Royals have released 26-year-old outfielder Connor Scott from Double-A Northwest Arkansas, ending the former first-round pick’s second stint in the organization.
The move, reported via MiLB transaction records, comes as the major-league club wrapped a series against the Boston Red Sox.
Scott, a Tampa native, was selected 13th overall by the Miami Marlins in the 2018 draft out of H.B. Plant High School and signed for a $4.038 million bonus rather than attend the University of Florida.
Tools and athleticism made him a premium amateur, but he never reached the majors. Injuries and inconsistent production followed him through the Marlins, Pirates (acquired in the 2021 Jacob Stallings trade), Brewers, and Royals systems.
Kansas City first signed him to a minor-league deal in January 2025. He played just eight games for the Naturals before a full-season injured list stint.
After electing free agency that November, he re-signed with the Royals in January 2026 and spent the entire campaign at Double-A.
In 88 games this season, he hit .231 with 11 home runs, 13 doubles, three triples, and 50 RBI.
The left-handed hitter showed some extra-base pop and still flashed the speed that once defined his profile, but the overall line and strikeout rate were not enough to keep him in the system as Kansas City evaluates its outfield depth.
Career minor-league numbers sit near .240 with modest power and stolen-base totals that never fully translated at higher levels.
Scott is now a free agent and can sign with any club. At 26 he remains young enough that another organization could view him as a depth or developmental piece, particularly if he stays healthy.
For the Royals, the release is a quiet roster housekeeping move at the Double-A level rather than a high-profile roster shakeup. It does, however, close another chapter for a player once projected as a high-upside center-field prospect.
Whether Scott lands elsewhere this winter or next spring will depend on whether a team still sees leftover tools worth a low-risk look.
For now, the former first-rounder is looking for his next opportunity after eight professional seasons without a big-league debut.
