Will

Smith

That means no Robbie Grossman, who was acquired to play against lefties but wound up going just 4-for-32 over the final month of the season. Reliever Will Smith was a candidate to be activated after missing the end of the year with back spasms, but it seems the Royals didn’t want to mess with what’s working in the pen.

There’s a lot of roster turnover in the bullpen for the Royals today. Smith might not need more than the minimum stay on the IL, and the veteran has also really struggled in 2024 with a 6.53 ERA in 41 1/3 innings. Carlos Hernández is being recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take his place.

With Will Smith put on the IL with a back injury, the Royals will bring back Hernández, who has a 3.45 ERA in 15 innings overall for the team out of the bullpen. He figures to remain in the majors for a couple of weeks at least while Smith recovers.

The Kansas City bullpen is shaping up as a problem. Smith has given up six runs in 2 2/3 innings. James McArthur also allowed two runs tonight, leaving him with a 12.00 ERA after three appearances. John McMillon, the team’s best hope to run away with the closer’s role, gave up four runs in his first Triple-A appearance. John Schreiber might actually be worth a speculative pickup here, since there’s just not much reason to expect Smith to be very good going forward.

It was Smith’s first save of the season after allowing four runs in one inning in his first appearance. On Tuesday, Smith avoided any trouble whatsoever and still appears to be ahead of the pack for saves in Kansas City. That said, he is not the most stable of fantasy assets and could have a few more blow-up outings coming his way. The Royals’ two best options if Smith were to falter appear to be James McArthur and John Schreiber, but neither of them is a clear handcuff target either for fantasy purposes.

Rosenthal reports that the Royals are actively looking to trade for a closer but are also finding the market thin when it comes to potential fits. The Brewers seem unlikely to trade Devin Williams, Kenley Jansen is likely too expensive for the Royals if the Red Sox put him on the market, and, if the Guardians even wanted to trade Emmanuel Clase, “they probably would not send him to an AL Central rival.” All of that means that Will Smith still seems like the best bet to start the season as the Royals’ closer; however, that could change if they’re able to find a trade partner.

The deal was reported yesterday by Jeff Passan as a one-year, $5 million contract and is now official with the Royals designating Collin Snider for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster. Smith started the year strong in 2023, pitching to a 3.06 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 35/8 K/BB ratio in 32 1/3 innings in the first half of the season. He also earned the closer’s job in Texas during that time and registered 14 saves prior to July 1st. However, in 25 second-half innings, Smith had a 6.12 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 20/9 K/BB ratio and was a non-factor in the Rangers’ postseason run, pitching just 3 1/3 innings with a 10.80 ERA. The Royals will hope that the 34-year-old can recapture some of that early season magic and will likely give him a chance to earn save opportunities as well.

Smith began his career with the Royals in 2012 so it is a homecoming for the 34-year-old reliever. He began last season as the Rangers closer but fell out of favor when his production dipped, and Texas traded for Aroldis Chapman at the trading deadline. On the season, he posted a 4.04 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 22 saves, and a 55/17 K/BB ratio across 57 1/3 innings and could be a factor for saves in Kansas City unless James McArthur continues his late-season performance.

Aroldis Chapman yet again was saved for a ninth-inning lead that never came about. It’s the second straight outing in which Smith has taken a loss. He’s given up 17 runs — 15 earned — in 15 innings over his last 17 appearances. He’s definitely behind Chapman in line for saves at this point, and he might no longer be utilized with leads at all.

Smith got the final out of the seventh with a 1-0 lead, but he opened the eighth by allowing two of three batters to reach. José Leclerc took over then and allowed both runners to score on a pair of singles. So, while the blame should be divided (and Leclerc did get tagged with a blown save), it was Smith who gave up the runs. It’s not going to help his chances for saves during the final two weeks.