Kansas City Royals Brandon Maurer providing valuable service
Kansas City Royals fans may groan when they see Brandon Maurer come into the game, but he is actually helping the franchise.
To say that Kansas City Royals reliever Brandon Maurer has been a disaster would be an understatement. He has been a dumpster fire this year in Kansas City, posting a horrific 14.25 ERA and a 3.000 WHiP in his 12 innings. This continues his disappointing tenure since being acquired at the trade deadline in 2017, as Maurer has posted a 10.41 ERA and a 2.531 WHiP in 32 innings since joining the Royals.
Maurer may well have reached his nadir on Monday. The Royals were clinging to a 4-2 lead over Detroit, courtesy of an unexpectedly strong start by Heath Fillmyer. Then, Maurer went napalm, giving up a single and two doubles, the latter of which scored two runs to tie the game. After Jason Hammel allowed another double, all three runners Maurer faced scored, sending the Royals to another loss.
With the Royals season having been such a disaster, Maurer has been a frequent target of angst. The Royals are just 2-14 in the games in which Maurer has appeared, as he has held the opposition off the board in only seven of those outings. In the two Kansas City victories, he has pitched a combined 1.1 innings, allowing three baserunners.
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Given that lack of success, it is fair to wonder why he is still with the club. Yes, the Royals could find a reliever in AAA that would have greater success, especially as Maurer has been worth -1.2 WAR in just 16 outings. Of course, that is a part of what he provides to the Royals, particularly in the midst of what has been a miserable season.
And yet, the strategy to continue to trot Maurer out to the mound is genius. The Royals know that he will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, as evidenced by his four losses and four blown saves. With their rebuild in full swing, and the Royals engaged in a close race with the Orioles for the bottom of the standings, Maurer is providing quite the valuable service to the future of the organization.
Does this hurt in the short term? Definitely. But that is the design. Maurer is not going to be part of the future of the Royals; in fact, he may not even be around next season. And yet, his performance this season could go a long way towards the future success of the franchise, especially as they look to Quit for Witt.
Next: Royals interested in Ryon Healy
Brandon Maurer has a part to play with the Kansas City Royals. And he is playing his part very well.