3 relievers who’ve moved up KC Royals' trust tree, 2 who’ve already moved down

For the Kansas City Royals, there has been no more turnover in one position group than that of the bullpen. In 2024, the Royals started the season off with veteran Will Smith and the red-hot James McArthur as their primary back-of-the-bullpen options, and both fell flat on the season. Only three pitchers from Kansas City's 2024 Opening Day roster were on the 2025 iteration, with players like Smith, Nick Anderson, and Jordan Lyles out of the majors altogether.

While the turnover at such an ill-producing group should be commended, Opening Day has come and gone, and now it is all about results. The offseason acquisition of former All-Star Carlos Estévez, as well as moving Daniel Lynch IV full-time to the bullpen, are among the choices that will ultimately look wise or foolish depending on the 2025 results.

Baseball is a sport where fans rightfully ask, "What have you done for me lately?" The perception surrounding a player can ebb and flow with how the previous day's game went, and that seemingly applies doubly to relievers. With the opening week behind the Royals, some relievers have moved in or out of Kansas City's circle of trust.

Relievers moving up and down KC Royals' circle of trust after Week 1 of 2025 MLB season.

Trust up: RHP Lucas Erceg

2025 stats: 4 G / 3.1 IP / 0.00 ERA / 2.32 FIP / 2.70 K/9 / 0.00 BB/9

The Royals' gem from last season's trade deadline is still paying off in 2025. Right-handed pitcher Lucas Erceg has ceded the de facto closer spot to newcomer Estévez, but he has still recorded some important outs for Kansas City. MLB.com's Anne Rogers reported earlier this spring that the Royals planned to deploy Erceg in the highest-leverage situations, no matter the inning or matchup. That has held so far, and Erceg has gotten the job done.

Erceg hasn't been piling up strikeouts, only fanning one of the 10 batters he has faced through Friday's action. However, he has only allowed one baserunner while recording a .134 xwOBA, which ranks in the 98th percentile. An astounding 77.8% groundball rate feels unsustainable, but it has helped Erceg to be productive while not striking out the opposition.

Erceg's 0.51 win probability added, or WPA, ranks fifth-highest among AL relievers and seventh-highest in all of baseball. Erceg doesn't need saves or the ninth inning on lock to help this team through the first handful of games, and the should ring true for the remainder of 2025.

Trust down: LHP Sam Long

2025 stats: 4 G / 4.0 IP / 9.00 ERA / 6.67 FIP / 4.50 K/9 / 4.50 BB/9

One of last season's minor success stories was left-handed pitcher Sam Long. The former Athletics and San Fracisco Giants offcast landed in Kansas City on a minor-league deal, but started the season in Triple-A Omaha. After a slew of underproductive relievers and some injuries, Long made his way to Kansas City, and those initial results exceeded all expectations. Unfortunately, so far in 2025, Long looks less like his 2024 version and more like the journeyman he was before Kansas City.

Long was, unfortunately, a part of the problem in Kansas City dropping their first series of the season. The Guardians scored five runs in Long's two innings on the mound, including a disastrous outing in an extra-innings Opening Day showing. Looking at his WPA, Long has hurt the Royals more in the past four games than he helped them in 43 games last year. In fact, his -0.76 WPA is the seventh-worst mark from any MLB reliever and third-worst in the AL.

Fans were right to feel comfortable having him in the bullpen to start the season. However, considering his performance, overall career numbers, and lack of roster flexibility, Long's position in Kansas City feels shaky at best.

Trust up: RHP Hunter Harvey

2025 stats: 4 G / 4.0 IP / 0.00 ERA / -0.08 FIP / 13.50 K/9 / 0.00 BB/9

Hunter Harvey’s first impression in Kansas City was underwhelming in 2024. A back injury sidelined him late in the season after only a handful of appearances, so it’s understandable if fans forgot he was even part of the Royals’ bullpen plans. However, if anyone doubted Harvey’s ability to contribute in 2025, his strong early‑season outings should put those concerns to rest.

Harvey opened the season strong, throwing a 1–2–3 inning against the Guardians on Opening Day—and he’s done it in each of his 2025 appearances. Across four games, he’s allowed no baserunners and surrendered just two balls out of the infield, delivering a series of low‑drama outings for Kansas City. Though he hasn’t yet been used in many high‑leverage spots, manager Matt Quatraro is steadily increasing his role. The skipper clearly trusts Harvey—after a late‑2024 back injury derailed his debut, Harvey is finally looking like the shutdown setup man he was in Washington.

Now, he looks very much like that player who had an MLB-best 28 holds through Aug. 4, 2024, his final appearance last season. Kansas City's bullpen already looks better on paper now than a calendar year ago, but Harvey emerging as a trusted reliever only sweetens the pot. Fellow righties Estévez and Erceg will certainly see the lion's share of the save opportunities in Kansas City, but Harvey should help more close games stay close this season.

Whether or not Quatraro trusts Harvey against left-handed hitters this season will show how much the staff currently believes in him. He has faced mostly lefties this season (seven, compared to five right-handed hitters). But those righties came as pinch-hitters, thanks to his splits in recent seasons. Harvey's primary pitches work more north-south, with a four-seam fastball living in the zone and a split-finger fastball diving below the zone. The veteran also has a tinkered slider in 2025, but that and the curveball will always be backup options.

Overall, Harvey’s strong start should give both fans and the organization plenty of optimism for 2025. Last year’s Royals bullpen rarely felt postseason‑caliber based on in‑game performance and win‑probability metrics. This year is different, and a rejuvenated Harvey is a big reason why.

Trust down: RHP John Schreiber

2025 stats: 3 G / 3.1 IP / 5.40 ERA / 9.22 FIP / 10.80 K/9 / 2.70 BB/9

Like signing Long to a low-risk, low-reward deal, the Royals trading for right-handed reliever John Schreiber had a similar feel ahead of the 2024 season. Kansas City needed some experience in the bullpen, and Schreiber filled that role after some success with the Boston Red Sox. Now, in his second season with Kansas City, Schreiber is closer to unreliable than reliable, and when he enters games, the results reflect that.

Schreiber only has three appearances this season, but two were in blowout losses, with Kansas City already trailing by four or more runs. The veteran did more to hurt than help in those blowout losses, surrendering a home run in each appearance. He did show up in a high-leverage spot in the rubber game with the Milwaukee Brewers, striking out two in the bottom half of Milwaukee's batting order. Kansas City has better right-handed options this season than last, but Schreiber had some great moments in 2025. Now, his deployment and production feel like he is further down the pecking order.

Schreiber's problem so far has been batters sitting in his cutter, a pitch that hasn't been getting the same rising action that it did last season. He throws that pitch 25% of the time, and allowed both homers on that pitch. The pitch makes sense in his arsenal as a middle ground between a higher-velocity four-seam fastball that doesn't move as much east-west, while his sweeper has plenty of east-west break, but a lower velocity. Still, it is hard to defend that process from this perspective while knowing the outcome.

The former Detroit Tigers hurler is perhaps undergoing some changes,including scrapping his changeup altogether and mixing in three pitches nearly equally to start the season. Schreiber still has strikeout stuff and may just be having some early-season jitters, but fans will not feel comfortable seeing him in close games for a while longer.

Trust up: LHP Daniel Lynch IV

2025 stats: 3 G / 5.0 IP / 0.00 ERA / 2.32 FIP / 5.40 K/9 / 1.80 BB/9

Lefty Daniel Lynch IV has the longest active scoreless streak in MLB, sitting at 25 2/3 innings across 14 outings. That run is the fourth longest in Royals' history as well. No notes. Outside of Estévez and Erceg, fans should have immense confidence in Lynch—no further notes.