MLB heaps high praise on KC Royals offseason addition (with one caveat)

Two things can be true at the same time. The KC Royals are not having the kind of season they thought they would. After a trip to the playoffs in 2024, Kansas City almost certainly thought it had made the moves that would allow it to retool and cruise through a usually weak AL Central.

They still might do that, to be fair. There’s a lot of season left. But for now, things aren’t going the way they expected. That, of course, doesn’t mean that no one is performing well. That doesn’t mean that none of the moves have panned out yet. There is one new addition to the Royals who has performed well enough that he’s gotten some praise heaped on him from none other than MLB.com in a recent article.

The publication in question put together an article titled “1 newcomer on each team making an early impression,” and for the KC Royals, the site decided said newcomer was none other than new closer Carlos Estévez.

Carlos Estevez emerging as KC Royals’ most impactful offseason move

Anne Rogers, who covers the Royals for MLB.com, addressed in the article that while Estévez has undoubtedly been valuable in high-leverage innings for the Royals, the caveat has been the amount Kansas City has actually been able to use him.

"Their bullpen hasn't pitched as much as they would have liked due to their recent struggles," Rogers wrote. “But Estévez has been a valuable addition to the bullpen early in the year. He’s mostly gotten it done on the field with a 0.90 ERA and 10 strikeouts across eight games this year, with five saves.”

The piece went on to explain that it’s not just the performance on the field that has made Estévez valuable. Rogers points out that the closer is also a veteran presence who could be a calming presence for a Kansas City squad that needs to find its footing.

When Estévez was signed this offseason, some fans thought it went against the club's tenets of what it is trying to build on a limited budget. However, Rogers and MLB.com believe that his value to the KC Royals is more than simply a guy who can come into the game in the ninth inning. Especially when there aren’t that many opportunities for him to do so as of now.