The KC Royals must keep this reliever in the fold

The Kansas City Royals' signing of free agent reliever Sam Long last winter wasn't earth-shattering. Overshadowed by general manager J.J. Picollo's stunning package of club-improving offseason moves, Long's deal drew some interest, but sent no one rushing to proclaim it a game-changer. Almost a year later, though, bringing Long aboard is a decision KC definitely shouldn't reverse.

Picollo will have opportunities to move Long this winter — he could include the lefty reliever in a trade package designed to corral the big bat the Royals so desperately need, or cut him to make room for someone else. Both moves would be mistakes.

The only Long-related move the Royals should contemplate as baseball's winter shifts from its present slow pace into higher gear is ensuring he's in the team's bullpen when the 2025 season begins next March.

Sam Long brings value to the KC Royals

Long, who'd pitched two seasons for the San Francisco Giants and one for the Oakland Athletics before signing with KC, wasted no time vindicating Picollo's December decision to sign him to a minor league contract and invite him to spring training. He got off to a fast Cactus League start and finished the exhibition slate with a seven-game 1.04 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 15 strikeouts, and only one walk in 8.2 innings. He started the regular season at Triple-A Omaha, but his 1.31 ERA, 10.02 K/9, and 2.18 BB/9 for the Storm Chasers compelled the Royals to call him up in late May.

Long's impact in Kansas City was immediate and positive. He didn't give up an earned run until his 12th appearance, quickly became a mid-to-late inning go-to for manager Matt Quatraro, and entered September with a nifty 2.30 ERA.

And although he stumbled a bit in September and gave up seven runs in 11.1 innings, Long's season numbers were impressive. Opponents batted just .218 against him, he allowed only a third of the runners he inherited to score, and no one stole a base with him on the mound. Plus, his 3.16 ERA was one of the shaky Royal bullpen's best — and the finest of his four-season major league career.

The KC Royals need the bullpen stability Sam Long can help deliver

That Kansas City's relief corps struggled in 2024 is an unfortunate, well-chronicled truth. The Royals won't get better unless their bullpen does, so consistency and stability will be the names of the game next season.

And that's especially so after last week's major trade that brought infielder Jonathan India and outfielder Joey Wiemer to Kansas City and sent KC starter Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds. The deal gives the Royals a rotation hole to fill and they may raid the bullpen to fill it. Picollo recently suggested to MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers that the club considers Kris Bubic and Daniel Lynch, left-handers like Long who worked almost exclusively in relief in 2024, to be starters.

Shifting either Bubic or Lynch (or both) to the rotation will reduce Quatraro's relief options. Other than that pair, Long and Ángel Zerpa could be his only other left-handed relievers unless KC adds, as it should, superb minor league southpaw reliever Evan Sisk to the active big league roster, or finds another lefty on the open market. Promoting Sisk is the better choice. But regardless of what the Royals do, keeping Long guarantees having a solid, reliable, and consistent bullpen lefty.

Sam Long will be affordable for the Royals

Long is under club control for next season, so he'll cost Kansas City no more than the 2025 major league minimum salary, which — per the current collective bargaining agreement between clubs and players — will be $760,000. The Royals will almost certainly pay him more, but whatever he signs for will be easily absorbable.

So, any Sam Long decision Picollo must make should be easy — keep the proven, reliable, and affordable reliever in Kansas City.