Royals owner's questionable roster comments leave KC's bullpen outlook just as bleak for 2027

The Kansas City Royals have had a lot of weak spots this season, but arguably none bigger than the bullpen. Their collective 5.37 ERA ranks second-to-last in MLB this season, their .270 BAA sits tied for third-to-last and their 1.56 and 5.25 FIP both sit dead-last. Injuries have forced them to rely heavily on fringier talents. They currently have no consistent answer at closer with Carlos Estévez on the shelf and Lucas Erceg and Alex Lange largely squandering their opportunities given to them. And injuries elsewhere in the staff have also forced them to make bold decisions with their better arms, like Daniel Lynch IV, just to get by.

However, after hearing owner John Sherman comments on 96.5 The Fan on how the Royals plan attack the offseason, the bullpen appeared to be somewhat an after thought, despite how dreadful it's looked this season. As Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star reported, Sherman believes the bullpen can be "cobbled" together next season.

The issue is, isn't that approach they've taken in 2026?

With injuries to names like Estévez and Nick Mears among others as well as sheer underperformance from names like Lange, Erceg, the now departed Bailey Falter and Matt Strahm, cobbling seems to be what they've been doing all season. Names like Connor Seabold, Beck Way, Easton McGee and even the most recent acquisition of aging closer Craig Kimbrel are not ones that a preseason contending hopeful like the Royals would've ever envisioned having in their bullpen.

Now, Sherman identified the rotation as an area where the Royals can spend some money this offseason and he's not wrong. Beyond Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo and Noah Cameron, Kansas City isn't flush with options beyond that thanks to immense injury struggles. However, to go from saying they've "got a lot of work to do in the bullpen" to then immediately backtracking saying that they've already gotten "a little bit of a head start on that" and they can cobble together a relief corps seems to dismiss how bad the Royals have been in that regard this season.

John Sherman hopes Royals young bullpen arms can continue to develop in 2026

Even if Sherman's comments seem misguided, he is the owner at the end of the day. The offseason money is coming out of his pocket, so this the reality Royals fans have to live with.

Obviously when talking about the work GM J.J. Picollo and Co. have done already this season in the bullpen, it seems like he's alluding to trade deadline acquisitions like Carlos Duran and Nolan Hoffman and perhaps even ones from weeks earlier like Nate Pearson. But what about other potential young names?

The biggest name that seems like a surefire option to be part of the Royals' plans again next season is Steven Cruz. While the 27-year-old may only be sporting a pedestrian 4.19 ERA and 1.21 WHIP this season, that's more of a product of a poor start to his season, as he's been an entirely new arms since surrendering three earned runs on June 21. From his next outing on June 23 to this point in time, Cruz is sporting a 1.71 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and .178 BAA and has been indispensable as a strikeout artist in a Royals 'pen that's been dropping like flies.

Then there's names like Beck Way and perhaps the newly acquired Luke Little that are both 27 or younger and could step in and do a job in the middle to long-relief spots in the 'pen. Pair with that the fact that Daniel Lynch IV could perhaps return to the bullpen should he not win a rotation spot next season and the Royals could have a fleet of young arms with potential to build around.

Now, as great as having young relievers are, none of these names really projects as "the guy" and every competitive bullpen needs at least one of those names.

If the Royals are truly as ready to win now as they say they are, they can't rely on unproven talent cobbled together to carry them through. They need to invest.

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