4 other options the KC Royals should use before next Will Smith disaster

KC Royals fans don't need advanced metrics or decades of baseball experience to see what Kansas City's issue is so far in 2024. It is far and away the bullpen, with presumptive closer Will Smith leading the charge into oblivion. The Royals had several things clicking against the Baltimore Orioles but two walk-off losses really dampened the mood.

That might be an understatement.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro downplayed Smith's first crippling performance against the Minnesota Twins and I called that response tone-deaf. Now, with multiple blown games from Smith alone, Kansas City needs to find other closing options if they have any chance of improving in 2024. Kansas City has allowed eight hits and 10 earned runs in the ninth inning alone so far in 2024. Add in their 18 ERA and .533 opposing OBP in six ninth innings so far, the Royals need another option immediately.

Can the KC Royals move on from Will Smith?

I would love a player like Will Klein, John McMillon, or even Walter Pennington to push their way into a late-inning reliever conversation later this year, but that is down the road. If Quatraro wants to move away from Smith, here are Kansas City's best options and why each pitcher makes sense.

John Schreiber

I know you all are jumping up and down for Smith to move out of the late-inning work into really anything else. But would you take John Schreiber instead? I argue Royals fans need to notice the new righty in Kansas City's bullpen.

The Royals added Schreiber late in the offseason via trade from the Boston Red Sox. Schreiber is only one season removed from his eight-save 2022 campaign, which also saw him lead the Red Sox relievers with a 2.22 ERA, .98 WHIP, and held batters to a .195 batting average. I will take that from a reliever any day of the week and twice on Sunday. I might need it three times on a Sunday for Cole Ragans to finally get a win this year.

His 2024 season so far has been very straightforward: three games, and three innings of work. He had a very rocky start to the season, hitting two batters and loading the bases with one out. Thankfully, Schreiber escaped that jam with a double play. Since then, in his two appearances against Baltimore, Kansas City has a better chance of winning after Schreiber leaves the mound. He is a positive presence in the bullpen and isn't flashy, but gets the job done. Kansas City needs another option immediately, so why shouldn't Quatraro turn to the veteran?

James McArthur

The MLB season is still in prime small sample-size territory, but that is what we have to go off of. Reliever James McArthur's stats are not great at all so far. But fans who have watched all of his performances so far know the righty has been extremely unlucky in 2024. Who knows how different his season would look so far away from Camden Yards or without two Nick Loftin blunders?

This early in the season, I like to look at more of the predictive stats, especially Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP). That metric focuses on what a pitcher can control and converts it to an ERA scale. As of Thursday, McArthur's 12.00 ERA is a massive departure from his 1.31 FIP. One is atrocious, the other elite. That 10.69 difference is the ninth-largest among MLB relievers to boot. That, plus a .538 BABIP, offers hope for McArthur rebounding soon. He should do so in a closer role for Kansas City for one big reason.

This past spring, McArthur spoke with MLB.com's Manny Randhawa about how Kansas City differed from his previous organization, the Philadelphia Phillies. The Royals' change quietly reintroduced McArthur's best pitch last season.

“Right when I came over from the Phillies, they wanted me to start throwing the slider again,” McArthur said. “And I’m glad they did, because it’s helped me a lot and has kind of protected my curveball. … So them helping me with that, I think, was a big part of me turning it around at the end of the year.”

McArthur only threw that pitch 24% of the time last season, and its value was very apparent. The righty is throwing that pitch 29.4% of the time in 2024, with similarly good results. His expected stats are elite, while a lucky bounce on a Byron Buxtun double is skewing that pitch's performance so far this season.

Why hone in so much on one pitch? Every reliever needs a get-out pitch. The weapon in their arsenal they know will get them out of an inning jam, or game entirely. McArthur's slider is his get-out pitch, while a curveball and sinker round out his total arsenal. Royals fans saw what McArthur had to offer as the bullpen's guy last season. Quatraro needs to view Smith's struggles as an opportunity for other players to step in. McArthur needs to be first up.

Angel Zerpa

Don't look now, but Angel Zerpa has already matched his fWAR from 2023 to 2024. That's right, through two games and 1⅔ innings, Zerpa is already worth…

Flips through notes…

Ignores small samples…

.1 fWAR. Huzzah!

In all actuality, Zerpa starting in the MLB bullpen this season is a blessing in disguise. He made his first career start back in 2021 but hasn't carved out a full-time role since. The Royals have added more starting pitching since that debut, and the farm system has starters waiting in the wings. If Zerpa wants to stick at the MLB level, tuning his stuff to that of a high-leverage reliever is the way to go.

Has he already begun that transition? I can see a trend here. Zerpa, whether it be one inning or multiple, did not start any of his seven September 2023 appearances. He posted a 2.29 ERA (5 ER in 19.2 IP), 19 strikeouts, and only two walks in those games. That is exactly what I wanted from Zerpa, albeit two years and a rotational spot too late.

Now, he is still performing well in the Kansas City bullpen. He already has one hold to his name, facing seven batters and striking out two or allowing hits to three. Zerpa's performance against the Minnesota Twins had my blood pressure high when he allowed two baserunners to start the eighth inning. But, between a popout and two strikeouts, Zerpa got out of the inning without much damage.

That damage part is what Kansas City needs to fix now. Closing games don't have to be pretty. It is all about who ends the ninth inning on top. Zerpa hasn't given up runs yet in 2024, showing an ability to ignore a possible disaster and still do his job. He is not the ideal late-inning reliever, but Zerpa can still mold himself and his pitching arsenal to fit that role better.

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