Kansas City Royals quietly building intriguing bullpen

The Kansas City Royals are not expected to contend in 2020, but they may exceed expectations due to an intriguing bullpen.

Back when the Kansas City Royals were the class of baseball, they relied upon three simple philosophies – strong defense, making contact, and a buzzsaw of a bullpen. As that success slid further into the past, the Royals moved further from those tenents to the point where the bullpen was one of the worst in baseball in 2019.

Heading into the offseason, Kansas City had possibly two relievers that could be viable options. Ian Kennedy had made the transition from a mediocre starter into a surprisingly effective closer, resurrecting his career as he notched 30 saves while posting a solid 3.41 ERA and a 1.279 WHiP. Tim Hill suddenly became a solid option in the middle of the bullpen, posting a 3.63 ERA and a 1.109 WHiP of his own, leading to his name being the subject of trade rumors.

Obviously, two relievers does not a bullpen make. There are interesting options in the minors in Richard Lovelady and Kyle Zimmer. Yet, the two players that could make the biggest impact upon the success of the bullpen in 2020 are a pair of reclamation projects in Trevor Rosenthal and Greg Holland.

Holland was a major part of the Royals’ bullpen buzzsaw. From 2011 through 2015, there were few relievers in his class, as he posted a stellar 2.15 ERA and a 1.090 WHiP while recording 145 saves. In his 301 innings, he struck out 407 batters while issuing only 117 walks. He was as automatic as they came in the ninth inning.

However, injuries happened. Tommy Joh surgery knocked him out of the Royals run to the title in 2015, and ended his 2016 season. While he did lead the NL in saves in his comeback 2017 campaign, Holland has had a roller coaster past two seasons, struggling with the Cardinals and Diamondbacks around his success with the Nationals.

The same cannot be said for Rosenthal. He did have a run of success in 2014 and 2015, saving 93 games and being named to the 2015 All Star Game. However, he was unable to replicate that production, losing the closer role to Seung-hwan Oh in 2016, and undergoing his own Tommy Joh surgery the following year.

After missing the entire 2018 season, Rosenthal earned a spot in the Nationals bullpen. However, his tenure in Washington was a disaster. He infamously allowed at least one baserunner and one run without recording an out in four consecutive appearances. Eventually released by the Nationals, he signed with the Tigers before being let go once again.

Given the lack of success from both over the past two seasons, it would be foolhardy to count on either as a key part of the bullpen. Yet, it is possible that either, if not both, could find lightning in a bottle, returning to their former glory. If that happens, the Royals bullpen could be a surprising strength in the coming season.

The Kansas City Royals may not contend in 2020. However, if Greg Holland and Trevor Rosenthal return to form, the Royals may be better than expected.