The Royals are hoping that an infusion of youth well spur the bullpen to more success in 2011. 26-year old righty Joakim Soria is back as the Royals’ closer in 2011. Soria pitched in 66 games (0 starts) last year and he was 1-2 with 43 saves, a 1.78 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Soria has now pitched in 238 games (0 starts) in his first four years with the Royals and he is 8-10 with 132 saves, a 2.01 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. Soria has whiffed 281 batters in 255 innings so far in his career which is pretty impressive. But, the fact that he has only given up 182 hits and 70 walks is even more impressive. Soria has great stuff and he’s very aggressive which makes him one of the very best (if not the best) closers in all of baseball.
29-year old righty Robinson Tejada could be the set-up man for the Royals in 2011. He pitched in 54 games (0 starts) for the Royals last year and he was 3-5 with a 3.54 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. Tejada has now pitched in 114 games (7 starts) in his first three years with the Royals and he is 9-9 with a 3.47 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Tejada does have control issues as he has walked 95 batters in only 174 innings with the Royals, but he has only given up 120 hits while whiffing 184 batters which is impressive.
23-year old righty Jeremy Jeffress was the Brewers’ #3 ranked prospect coming into this year according to Baseball America. He was part of the haul the Royals got for Zack Greinke over the winter. Jeffress pitched in 10 games (0 starts) for the Brewers last year and he was 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. Jeffress also pitched in 24 games (0 starts) in A+AA-ball last year and he was 1-1 with 4 saves, a 2.23 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. He whiffed 43 batters while only allowing 18 hits in 32 1/3 innings in the minors showing just how nasty he can be. Jeffress will likely be the Royals’ 7th inning guy in 2011.
21-year old lefty Tim Collins comes into this season as the Royals” #13 prospect according to Baseball America. Collins pitched in 56 games (0 starts) in AA+AAA-ball last year and he was 3-1 with 15 saves, a 2.02 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. He has now pitched in 151 games (0 starts) in his first four years in the minors and he is 16-10 with 32 saves, a 2.26 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. He has only allowed 141 hits in his first 223 innings in the minors and he has 329 whiffs which shows just how nasty he can be. He will likely be the top lefty in the pen for the Royals in 2011.
25-year old righty Kanekoa Texeira could win a job in the pen for the Royals in 2011. He pitched in 27 games (0 starts) for the Royals last year and he was 1-0 with a 4.64 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. Texeira pitched in 43 games (0 starts) for the Royals & Mariners last year and he was 1-1 with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP.
The Royals might try to keep Rule 5 Draft Pick Nathan Adcock. 23-year old righty Nathan Adcock pitched in 37 games (26 starts) in A-ball last year and he was 11-7 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. Adcock has now pitched in 102 games (90 starts) in his first five years in the minors and he is 24-34 with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP.
28-year old righty Steve Shell could also help out the Royals at some point in 2011. Shell pitched in 21 games (9 starts) in AAA-ball last year and he was 3-2 with a 3.59 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. He last pitched in the majors in 2009 with the Nationals. Shell has pitched in 40 games (0 starts) in his first two years in the majors and he is 2-2 with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP.
25-year old righty Blake Wood will start the year in AAA. He pitched in 51 games (0 starts) for the Royals last season and he was 1-3 with a 5.07 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. Wood throws hard but it didn’t show last year as he only had 31 whiffs in 49 2/3 innings for the Royals in 2010.
27-year old righty Jesse Chavez pitched in 23 games (0 starts) for the Royals last year and he was 2-3 with a 5.88 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. Chavez has now pitched in 51 games (0 starts) for the Braves & Royals last year and he was 5-5 with a 5.89 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. Chavez has now pitched in 139 games (0 starts) in his first three years in the majors and he is 6-10 with a 5.09 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP.
25-year old righty Greg Holland will start the year in AAA, but he could help the Royals at some point in 2011. Holland pitched in 15 games (0 starts) for the Royals last year and he was 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP. He also pitched in 31 games in AAA-ball last year and he was 3-3 with 3 saves, a 3.81 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP.
PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE ROYALS BULLPEN IN 2011: B-