Among the many problems facing new manager Mike Matheny, and which he needs to solve before his KC Royals leave Spring Training, is the crowded mess that constitutes the club’s bullpen. It’s been too long since the Royals had an adequate, much less stellar, relief corps, a roster flaw figuring prominently in the Royal regression that began too soon after the club won its second World Series in 2015. The club hasn’t recovered from the departures of Wade Davis, Greg Holland, Kelvin Herrera, Luke Hochevar, and others.
Holland, of course, is back, the beneficiary of an invitation to spring camp and a one-year deal, but isn’t the sure roster bet he used to be; although he was serviceable for Arizona last season, he hasn’t had a truly Hollandesque campaign since 2017 with Colorado, his first year back after Tommy John surgery and his departure from the Royals.