Bailey Falter may have just forced Royals into drastic roster move after outing vs Yankees

Tuesday was a day that every Kansas City Royals fan will to forget after they were shelled at home by the New York Yankees 15-1 to fall to 22-33 and start a whole new losing streak. At the center of it all was Bailey Falter, who in the injury absence of Kris Bubic has joined the starting staff as a spot starter. After a somewhat unsuccessful start last week against the Red Sox where he surrendered two runs in two innings of work, Falter took things to a whole new level on Tuesday.

The Yankees lineup tee'd off on the lefty, scoring seven runs on nine hits, three of which were homers. At this point, Royals fans would've been ecstatic with his mediocrity a week ago. Unfortunately for Falter, this type of outing has become commonplace for him in 2026. In five outings this year, separated by an IL stint, he's thrown to a putrid 13.97 ERA, 9.08 FIP, 3.10 WHIP and .471 BAA. With numbers like this and outings like his Tuesday night debacle, it would shock nobody if the Royals were to cut ties with him in the near future (perhaps by the time the lineups are released for Wednesday's game).

It's not as if Falter is simply getting unlucky. Beyond his FIP above 9.00, last night was the perfect example of how hitters just aren't fooled by his stuff in the slightest. In the first inning alone, six of the first seven batters saw exit velocities in the triple digits off him, with Trent Grisham's 92.8 mph leadoff lineout being his only "saving grace".

At this point with what we've seen to start the season and in his Royals tenure in general dating back to the 2025 trade deadline, it's clear his stuff just isn't good enough to succeed at the major league level. It seems as if it' s more a matter of when he gets issued his walking papers as opposed to if. And much of the Royals fanbase appears keen to move off of him.

Who do the Royals turn to fill a potential Bailey Falter void in the bullpen?

At this rate, with an ERA above 13.00, it appears anyone would be better for Kansas City than what Falter is giving them. And given the fact that the Royals are sinking deeper and deeper into obscurity at 11 games under .500, it seems less and less likely they'll turn to the big league trade market to resolve this.

So who's in Omaha? Are there any other pitchers, preferably left-handers with Matt Strahm still out, that could fill a hybrid role like Falter does?

The first name that comes to mind is Andrew Pérez. The left-hander has seemingly come out of nowhere this season and been a godsend to the Storm Chasers' bullpen. In 22.2 innings across 18 outings, Pérez is throwing to a 3.18 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and .139 BAA. Unlike Falter, he's found ways to strike hitters out with a respectable 9.93 K/9. He's not perfect, as his 5.96 BB/9 does not make the most controlled arm, but again, Falter hasn't exactly set the bar high.

Beyond that, with Chazz Martinez injured and Helcris Olivárez along with former big leaguers Anthony Gose and the recently signed Génesis Cabrera holding Triple-A ERAs well north of 6.00, the dream of replacing Falter with an internal southpaw may need to be tabled.

In all likelihood, considering their both on the 40-man roster and have appeared in the majors with Kansas City already this season, Mason Black and Mitch Spence seem like the likeliest candidates to step into the immediate role should the Royals cut ties with Falter.

While Black is struggling in Omaha this season with a 6.53 ERA, his four scoreless outings with the Royals were a sight to behold. Spence suffered a blow-up himself in his only MLB outing of 2025 and hasn't fared much better in Omaha. However, he's more stretched out as a starter this season if the Royals are looking for a more traditional way to fill the void Bubic left in the rotation after his injury.

Bottom line, the Royals aren't devoid of options to quickly replace Falter. Are they the best? No. However, at this point in time beggars can't be choosers and if any statement is going to ring the truest here, it's that Bailey Falter is not cut out to be part of the Royals bullpen any longer.

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