The Kansas City Royals made a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers to bring in outfielder Isaac Collins in exchange for Angel Zerpa. Collins posted a 118 OPS+ last season and is a great defensive outfielder. While Zerpa has value as a left-handed relief pitcher, Collins fits Kansas City’s lineup well, which general manager J.J. Picollo acknowledged.
“At this point, we felt like this was a very good move for us considering our needs,” he said (via Anne Rogers of MLB.com). “The need for on-base, the need for an outfielder. Adding a switch-hitter to our roster, and then Isaac’s positional versatility is very attractive when you combine that with the number of years of control.”
Picollo added, “We know right now that the outfield is the primary spot he’s going to play, but it never hurts to have a player that has been in other positions and done well in other positions. We feel like there’s a lot of upside to this and some safety at the same time. It helps you manage your roster well.”
Royals reportedly acquire OF Isaac Collins and RHP Nick Mears from the Milwaukee Brewers for LHP Angel Zerpa, per multiple reports including MLB’s @Feinsand. pic.twitter.com/xrPq4uj8Gr
— MLB (@MLB) December 13, 2025
Collins was drafted in the ninth round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies out of Creighton University. He debuted on Sept. 8, 2024, recording one hit and one stolen base in two at-bats. Across two MLB seasons, he has appeared in 141 games with 389 at-bats, 100 hits, nine home runs, 56 runs scored, 54 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. His career slash line is .257/.361/.398 with a .760 OPS and 113 OPS+.
In 2025, Collins played 130 games, tallying 98 hits, nine home runs, 56 runs, 54 RBIs and 16 steals. His 2025 slash line was .263/.368/.411 with a .779 OPS and 118 OPS+. This type of production, when paired with plus defense, is a great get for the Royals.
As for Zerpa, his Royals run ends after five seasons in KC. While with KC he logged 177.0 innings with a career ERA of 4.13. In 2025, Zerpa pitched 64.2 innings with a 3.86 ERA and 1.37 WHIP.
On Collins, Picollo added, “He does it in a different way. He gets deep in counts. He’s not afraid with two strikes. The contact rates are good. But I think the on-base is what separates him from what we don’t have right now or what we haven’t had a lot of success with. We need guys who can get on base around our top four or five guys.”
