How will the KC Royals set up their bullpen? A fresh look at who’s in the running

The Kansas City Royals set out to improve their bullpen this offseason. KC’s relievers posted a 5.23 combined ERA in 623 1/3 innings last season.

Several players made the nearly three-hour trip from Triple-A Omaha to Kansas City during the course of the Royals’ 2023 campaign. The club shuffled relievers all year to compensate for a leaky bullpen.

Relievers James McArthur and John McMillon made their major-league debuts. Anthony Veneziano and Jonathan Bowlan got a closer look in September. Meanwhile, Austin Cox set a Major League Baseball record and Alec Marsh got his first opportunity in a hybrid role.

The Royals moved on from longtime closer Scott Barlow and seven-time All-Star Aroldis Chapman. KC replaced veterans Amir Garrett, Ryan Yarbrough and Jose Cuas as well.

The restructured bullpen created new opportunities.

Fans saw McArthur step into a high-leverage role. He posted a 2.01 ERA in 17 appearances following his dismal big-league debut against the Cleveland Guardians. McArthur didn’t allow a run in his last 16 1/3 innings and struck out 19 batters in that stretch.

This offseason, the Royals have sought to address their bullpen woes with experienced veterans. KC signed World Series-champion relievers Will Smith and Chris Stratton. They also acquired reliever Nick Anderson, along with starting pitcher Kyle Wright, from the Atlanta Braves.

That bullpen trio gives Royals manager Matt Quatraro options to finish games. Smith recorded 22 saves with the Texas Rangers and has a wealth of MLB experience. Smith starts his second stint with the Royals as Stratton and Anderson are newcomers to the organization.

In all, 23 pitchers on the 40-man roster and 10 non-roster invitees will be headed to Surprise, Arizona for spring training in a few weeks. Pitchers and catchers report Feb. 14, with the Royals’ first full-squad workout following a few days later.

The Royals are limited to 13 spots on their pitching staff. There are five starting spots and eight reliever spots available. It’s expected that Smith, Stratton and Anderson will have roles in the bullpen.

This leaves five unfilled bullpen spots. The Royals have a surplus of pitchers with at least some relief experience, and that creates competition.

“We are not going to settle,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said earlier this offseason. “We don’t like talking about this in these terms, but when guys have options, we have opportunities to find players who can beat them out for positions.”

Spring training will be important for multiple reasons. Among them, the Royals must figure out which relievers will make the opening day roster when the team breaks camp. Multiple candidates will emerge.

McArthur and McMillon showed promise in a limited sample size. However, there are questions about whether they can replicate their success over a full season. The Royals also like left-handed relievers Jake Brentz and Josh Taylor. Both dealt with injuries last year.

The next tier includes Carlos Hernandez, Steven Cruz and Angel Zerpa. Each battled inconsistency last season but showed promise. Marsh is also in the mix alongside Bowlan and Veneziano.

Cox, a non-roster invitee, is an interesting case. He looks to rebound from knee surgery last season. He has an uphill battle to make the team despite posting a 4.54 ERA in 24 appearances in 2023.

A few dark-horse candidates include Matt Sauer, Will Klein and Dan Altavilla. The Royals took Sauer in the Rule 5 Draft in December. Sauer must stay on the 26-man roster all season or he will be offered back to the New York Yankees for $50,000.

The Royals will give Sauer every opportunity to succeed. He will likely make the team, given his Rule 5 status, but must prove he can adjust to big-league hitters after never pitching above the Double-A level.

Klein was placed on the 40-man roster this offseason. He is likely to start in the minor leagues but is a future high-leverage reliever. Klein represented the Royals in the All-Star Futures Game last season.

Altavilla signed a minor-league deal with the Royals. He missed significant time due to Tommy John surgery and pitched in the Boston Red Sox organization last season. He also played winter ball in the Dominican Republic.

Altavilla has a 4.09 ERA in 119 career games and a 10.0 career strikeouts-per-nine-innings mark. He’s a non-roster invitee who could carve out a role in the Royals organization.

In terms of starting jobs, Daniel Lynch IV and Kris Bubic will be looking for defined roles. The Royals’ starting rotation is likely set with the additions of Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. Those two newcomers will join Cole Ragans, Brady Singer and Jordan Lyles on a weekly basis.

So how will the Royals make their choices? Factors they’ll consider include on-field play, minor-league options, financial situation and matchup availability.

“You can never have enough good players,” Quatraro said. “We have to create a tremendous amount of depth.”

Injuries occur every season, of course. But the Royals should now have the necessary depth to overcome such absences through the course of 162 games.