Shaky KC Royals bullpen should spark early 2025 season concern

After losing two of three games at home to begin the new major league season, the Kansas City Royals play on the road for the first time when they visit Milwaukee for three games against the Brewers beginning on March 31.

And they have work to do before returning to Kauffman Stadium on April 4 to launch a seven-game homestand with the Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins. A good bit of that immediate work will be in the bullpen, which figured so prominently in Kansas City losing two to the Guardians.

The pen was good once, but too shaky twice. Yes, just a trio of games doesn't provide a sufficient sample size upon which to pass definitive judgment, but how manager Matt Quatraro's relief corps performed against the defending American League Central Division Guardians should give rise to at least some early-campaign concern.

Relievers had too much to do with KC's first two losses

While no single component of the Royal roster should be assigned all the blame for the club losing twice to Cleveland, the bullpen must accept a significant portion of it.

Take Thursday's first game. Starter Cole Ragans, Quatraro's choice for Opening Day starter despite Seth Lugo's good credentials for that honor, pitched well enough to hand a 3-2 lead to Ángel Zerpa after allowing a leadoff single to former Royal Carlos Santana in the fifth. But after such a superb spring training performance — he didn't give up a run in nine Cactus League outings — Zerpa dug his club an immediate hole by giving up a two-run homer, and the lead, to Kyle Manzardo, the first batter he faced.

Then, and despite the 2.2 scoreless innings relievers Lucas Erceg, Hunter Harvey, and Carlos Estévez combined to pitch, Sam Long suffered a troubled 10th inning after the Royals overcame a blown eighth-inning rally to tie the game in ninth. Long surrendered three runs on two hits and a walk, and KC lost 7-4.

And Sunday's series-closing loss? It, too, involved Long in a negative way — after starter Michael Wacha allowed the Guardians only one run in his four innings, Long took over to begin the fifth and, just three batters into the frame, added to Cleveland's' 1-0 lead in a way KC couldn't overcome. He coughed up a two-run homer to Monzardo. The shot scored Cleveland's third run, which was enough as the Guardians won 6-2.

Chris Stratton and John Schreiber, both making their first appearances of the season, didn't help matters when they each gave up solo home runs later in the game.

The bullpen had one stellar outing for the KC Royals

Subpar bullpen performances in Games One and Two overshadowed the good work the pen did against Cleveland on Saturday. Although Lugo started and surrendered three runs, Daniel Lynch IV, Erceg, and Estévez had much to do with Kansas City's first win of the season.

After taking over for the Royals to begin the sixth, Lynch retired every batter he faced. Combined with the run his teammates scored in their half of the sixth and the two they plated in the seventh, his effort helped KC carry a 4-2 lead into the Cleveland eighth.

And that's where Erceg and Estévez did precisely what the Royals will need them to do all season — protect and preserve a late-inning lead. Erceg threw a scoreless eighth and Estévez a scoreless ninth to secure KC's 4-3 victory.

Three games do not a season make, so the Royals have time to iron out the bullpen wrinkles that marred the campaign's opening series. But acquiring the consistency they'll need from their relievers if 2025 is going to be as successful; as 2024 isn't an improvement for which this club can afford to wait too long.