Kansas City Royals: The quest to find relief in the bullpen

The Kansas City Royals were not expected to contend in 2019, and their bullpen is making certain that is the case.

As it stands, the Kansas City Royals have played six games this season. Literally, less than 4% of the season has passed by at this point, with the Royals posting a 2-4 record after six games. That record is really not a surprise, as no one expected Kansas City to contend this year.

And yet, the Royals record could be much better. The offense, at least the top sixth batters in the lineup, have been relatively solid. The starting rotation has been decent as well, keeping the Royals in the game and providing solid results. Meanwhile, the bullpen has been a disaster. Here is a look at their numbers after Thursday’s latest meltdown:

Very simply stated, that is not good. The Royals have lost two games that they were leading when turned over to the bullpen, and were tied on Thursday before the latest implosion. This time, Kyle Zimmer faced three batters in the seventh inning, and walked all three. A four pitch bases loaded walk by Kevin McCarthy and a sacrifice fly spelled oom for the Royals hopes on that day.

As the Kansas City Royals look to return to respectability, they will need to find options in the bullpen that can actually provide relief. Let us take a look at some players that could step up and be a viable part of the bullpen not only this season, but moving forward.