KC Royals: Kris Medlen Could Be Huge Luxury For 2016

The KC Royals won the World Series in 2015, which was their first championship since 1985. One of the big reasons why the Royals were able to pull off back to back World Series appearances was due to the talent that Dayton Moore was able to sign during the off season.

Kris Medlen was one of those guys that came to Kansas City in the past two years. He was a guy that posed a threat both in the bullpen and in the rotation, and pitched well in both places. Any time you can get a player like that, it’s always a good thing.

Medlen, signed by Dayton Moore and the Kansas City Royals before the 2015 season began, was coming off his second Tommy John surgery. It was a risky signing, but Moore had to know that if Medlen could pitch the way he pitched while starting for the Atlanta Braves, that this could be one of the best moves in the entire league.

Medlen missed the first half of the season due to still recovering from Tommy John surgery, but made his KC Royals debut in late July, after the All-Star break. His first appearance on the mound in Royal blue (well, white technically since it was a home game) was against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Medlen looked sharp at first, but ended his first trip to the mound with a 10.80 ERA. He quickly lowered that ERA throughout the season though, and actually was put into the rotation a month later.

Medlen started eight games for Kansas City, and posted a 6-2 record by the end of the regular season with an ERA of 4.01. Imagine how much lower that could have been had he not had that first rocky outing (which wasn’t even his fault honestly).

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For 2016, Medlen’s role is still unknown. Will he be in the rotation or will he pitch out of the bullpen? We’ll likely know the answer to that question in just a few months, but I think that Moore should stick him as a four or five guy in the rotation.

I feel like Medlen and Chris Young could have the same role, but at different times in 2016. Medlen or Young could be a starter in the rotation and the other could be in the bullpen, and then they could flip flop once one tires out.

This could be a huge advantage for the Royals, as neither guy went more than five innings in most starts last season. This is also the last year on Medlen’s contract so he’ll be trying to prove himself to other teams.

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I feel like if used in the right role, Kris Medlen could be a very dangerous player for the Kansas City Royals.

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