The Royals are still in the market for relief help and appear likelier to find another bullpen arm via the trade market than via free agency, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. Kansas City’s preference is to add another lefty, per the report. Leaning toward the trade market rather than free agency is due to a desire to create some roster flexibility that the current group lacks.
None of Carlos Estevez, Matt Strahm, John Schreiber, Nick Mears or Bailey Falter can be optioned to Triple-A. Lucas Erceg has a full slate of options but isn’t going to be sent down, given his status as one of the team’s top bullpen arms. Daniel Lynch IV and offseason signee Alex Lange are the only relievers who could plausibly be optioned right now. Since players with more than five years of service cannot be optioned without their consent, signing a free agent would further restrict the team’s moves with regards to shuffling pitchers between Kansas City and Triple-A Omaha.
Kansas City currently has three lefties projected for its Opening Day bullpen: Strahm, Lynch and Falter. Only Strahm, whom they acquired from the Phillies earlier this winter, seems like a lock for leverage innings. While Lynch pitched to a tidy 3.06 ERA in 67 2/3 frames this past season, he did so with the third-lowest strikeout rate among all qualified relievers in MLB (leading only grounder specialist Tim Hill and swingman Kolby Allard). Metrics like SIERA (4.62) and FIP (4.76) are far more bearish on the former top prospect. Falter, meanwhile, was rocked for 15 earned runs in 12 innings after coming over from the Pirates in a July trade.
Those are the only three left-handed relievers on Kansas City’s 40-man roster. The rotation contains three southpaws in Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic and Noah Cameron, but they’re all ticketed for starting gigs. Angel Zerpa has been one of the team’s go-to options from the left side, but he was traded to the Brewers in the swap that netted both Collins and Mears.
It can be difficult to identify obvious trade targets when it comes to controllable relievers. Jose A. Ferrer had been one such lefty, but the Nats already shipped him to the Mariners this offseason. The Cardinals have a left-handed reliever who’s clearly available in trade, but JoJo Romero has five years of big league service and can’t be sent to Triple-A without his consent. He doesn’t fit the mold of controllable, optionable reliever the Royals are seeking.
Speculatively speaking, Dylan Dodd doesn’t have a clear path to innings in Atlanta’s bullpen. The Brewers are deep in lefties (Jared Koenig, Aaron Ashby, DL Hall) and are typically willing to engage in conversation on anyone. The Cubs have signed five free agent relievers this offseason, leaving a trio of lefties on the 40-man roster ticketed for Triple-A work (Luke Little, Jordan Wicks, Riley Martin).
As shown with the Lange signing, the lower tiers of free agency tend to offer bullpen possibilities with options still remaining. John King, non-tendered by the Cardinals, might be a sensible depth lefty, although he’ll hit five years of service with just 24 more days on a big league roster, at which point he’d no longer provide the flexibility apparently sought by Kansas City. He would, however, be a potential multi-year option, given that he’d have an extra year of arbitration control remaining.
There’s a broad range of possibilities to consider, but it seems fair to expect that the Royals could look to put together a trade for an under-the-radar lefty or at the very least try to actively work the waiver wire or DFA market to bring in some additional depth in the next few weeks.
No mention of the Astros. We have 3 left handed relievers, we can spare Okert. With the right package.
Or controllable, Sousa and King fit in the mold but it’s going to take a lot.
Rockies have a ton of relievers with options. More than they need really. Swapping Bailey Falter for Luis Peralta or Angel Chivilli could work out well for both teams. It would give the Royals an optionable arm and give the Rockies a younger veteran arm that could fit in the rotation
Things is, lefty reliever.
Peralta IS a lefty reliever with two option years remaining. Chivilli is a righty with one option year remaining.
I only knew Chivlli
I thought Peralta would be cool for the Royals to get simply because the Rockies traded current Royals reliever Nick Mears to get Peralta in a trade with the Brewers.
I’d do Falter for Chivilli in a heartbeat!
You can have Bailey falter for free
Don’t go giving Falter away. He had a rough go in his short time with the club but he is much better than Lynch. We should move Lynch and let Falter battle for that last spot in the pen.
Well, I would prefer he go to Colorado, but if the Royals pay his salary I can probably find some yard work for him to do this year.
Seems weird that they traded Zerpa if they didn’t feel they had the in house replacements. From afar, it has looked like a decent bullpen. I like how so many of their guys have more than just a two pitch mix and seem to be able to use that to avoid barrels. I liked Zerpa a lot. I think the Brewers made out really well in that trade.
Is Steven Cruz not a guy? The pitch models seem to love his stuff and it looks like he was good when on the mound. Fewer Ks than you’d expect from the quality of the pitch grades, but seemed to limit hard contact.
Zerpa is a reverse platoon guy. Live arm, but not someone who can rely on to get lefties out. He’s got more upside as a starter if Milwaukee can give him another pitch and stretch him out.
KidDynamite, statistically it looks like he’s had really big traditional splits. Which is something that projects more to relief than starting unless, as you say, they refine the changeup or something to get right handed hitters out.
Cruz is a righty. I’m assuming the Zerpa deal was too good to pass up
Yeah. I know Cruz is a righty, but roster resource is projecting him not in the active bullpen while having three lefties that apparently are not good enough to warrant those spots if they’re shopping for upgrades.
He’ll be in the bullpen unless he’s hurt again
Peralta and Matsui are available. Hell…take Cronenworth too.
Padres need another starter or two.
Royals need a 2nd baseman, and relievers.
The two match up perfectly.
I’d love a deal for Matsui and Chronenworth. Problem is, I wouldn’t want to pay the price and the Royals just gave $8m to keep India around.
Just give us bergert back. They can keep kolek
I’d ask for Bubic in that package. Then take the savings, and go after Suarez to play 1st on a 3 yr deal with an opt out after the 2nd year. Might throw Ornelas in there too.
Bubic would offset the payroll for sure, but they REALLY need to get a LFer in a Bubic deal.
I’m still hoping Bubic + Blake Mitchell + Pitching Prospect to Boston will bring us Jarren Duran.
That’s why I’d include Ornelas. Young, controllable OF who profiles as a high obp guy with 15-20hr pop. The Padres just don’t have room for him with Merrill, Tatis, Laureano.
😆 🤣 😂
No thanks. Bergert is gonna be a stud.
Would you take Jose Alvarado (1/$9M), Johan Rojas + Aroon Escobar 2B (#5 ranked Phillies prospect) for Josh Hader (3/$57) and Jake Meyers (1/$4)? Would shed that $10M+ Houston FO is trying to clear. Escobar would be your new #1 prospect and potential long term replacement for Altuve at the keystone. Phillies form a modern day Rob Dibble/Norm Charlton at the back end. Who says no?
We don’t have that much roster space
He was talking to an Astros fan.
Rockies seem like a fit as a trade partner.
pads have wandy peralta and matsui. peralta kinda neutral value at 2/8 and perhaps matsui can be paid down a bit or there’s a bad contract swap there.
doubt the royals would pay the price for morejon.