The Royals granted Duda his unconditional release Monday.
After the Royals designating Duda for assignment over the weekend, none of the league's other 29 teams were willing to put in a waiver claim for the first baseman/designated hitter, who slashed .171/.252/.324 across 119 plate appearances with the big club. The prospect of an outright assignment to Triple-A Omaha apparently wasn't appealing to Duda, so he'll likely look to latch with a different organization on a minor-league deal. Hitting for power and getting on-base at a healthy clip have always been Duda's core skills, but with the 33-year-old slipping significantly in both areas the past two seasons, it's possible that his time in the big leagues may be over.