Kansas City Royals: Projecting Their 2011 Bullpen
One of the major weaknesses of the Royals team last season was its lackluster bullpen.
This season, there promises to be many new faces in what should be a unit that will be a work in progress from the start of the season.
New additions such as Tim Collins and Louis Coleman should likely help bridge the gap to star closer Joakim Soria, and hopefully improve a 'pen that has been very inconsistent in recent years.
The following slides feature the players that I have predicted to make this 'pen in '11.
Enjoy.
Long Reliever: Robinson Tejeda
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The former Phillies prospect has had three solid seasons in KC mainly as a reliever in the Royals 'pen.
His strength is his fastball, as he can blow it by just about anyone in the league when he is on his game.
In the last two seasons, he compiled an ERA of 3.54, and at 28, he could be one of the most experienced vets in the 'pen this year, and the Royals will count on him to log some major innings this year.
Long Reliever: Tim Collins
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Collins was traded to the Royals from Atlanta at the trade deadline last season and he could end up being a huge steal in that deal.
The Worcester, Massachusetts native has dominated at every level of the minor leagues so far in his professional career.
With a 2.26 career ERA in the minors, and a 1.33 ERA last year for Triple-A Omaha, he is ready to impact this team in 2011, and give the Royals a solid lefty that they have always struggled to find in the 'pen.
Long Reliever: Louis Coleman
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The former LSU Tiger is a big right-hander who has flown under the radar, but possesses a lot of talent.
His career ERA of 2.06 in the minor leagues speaks for itself as he has moved his way up the Royals farm system with ease.
He has been solid so far this season in spring training and look for him to make the team out of camp and start making an immediate impact in the bullpen.
Left-Handed Specialist: Blaine Hardy
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The 23-year-old Washington native is another guy that is vastly underrated and should make some noise with the big league team this season.
The former 22nd-round pick of the Royals is arguably one of the better finesse relievers that KC has in its farm system.
He will have a great chance to make the team out of camp this season, considering the team is depleted in left-handed pitchers as a whole.
Right-Handed Specialist: Jesse Chavez
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The former Brave also came with Tim Collins in the trade that sent reliever Kyle Farnsworth and outfielder Rick Ankiel to Atlanta last July.
He struggled last season with a 5.88 ERA for KC and his WHIP was a disappointing 1.47 for the entire season.
He will be given another shot this year, and he needs to step it up if he wants to keep his role on this team going forward.
Setup Man: Blake Wood
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Wood was called up in May last season, in order to add some stability to a bullpen that was having issues with holding the lead in the seventh and eighth innings.
The Georgia Tech product didn't exactly light the world on fire in his rookie season of '10, as he had a 5.07 ERA in 51 games, but he did pick up 15 holds in his eighth-inning role.
I would look for Wood to be the setup man once again in '11, and with a year of major league experience under his belt, we should see some improvement in the big, 6'5", 230-pound right-hander.
Closer: Joakim Soria
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As one of the best closers in the game, Soria is easily the best pitcher in the Royals 'pen and might just be the best closer that the franchise has ever had.
The artist formerly known as the "Mexicutioner" has made two All-Star teams in just four seasons in KC, and many believe that he is just getting started.
For his career, he has saved 132 games, and also has a 91.0 save percentage, which is a remarkable feat considering he has saved over 100 games in the big leagues.
Whether he is blowing away hitters with his fastball or lulling them to sleep with his slow curve, Soria is a force on the mound for this club, and at just 26 years old and in great health, he has a chance to be great for a long time.
