Kansas City Royals: Starting rotation candidates for 2018 season

(Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

The Kansas City Royals are losing just one starter from their rotation. What could the rotation look like this year?

While the 2018 season is going to consist of a rebuild, the Kansas City Royals actually have a decent set of names slated to be a part of their starting rotation. While we know three for sure, there are still some names to explore and spring training will be the time to discover who will earn those fourth and fifth spots.

Let’s take a look at potential pitchers for the starting rotation this season, starting with the most obvious.

STARTING ROTATION CANDIDATES – DANNY DUFFY

Assuming he’s not traded before the 2018 season gets underway, Danny Duffy will be the unquestioned number one guy in the rotation. Duffy had an injury riddled season last year, hitting the disabled list twice, but otherwise did well in his role as the ace.

Duffy started 24 games and locked down an ERA of 3.81 and WHIP of 1.257 with a 9-10 record, 130 strikeouts, and 41 walks in 146.1 innings. While things got a bit rough for Duffy near the end of last season, he’ll still be expected to be the number one guy.

Duffy has made it no secret that he doesn’t want to be traded via his Twitter account. He’s still controllable through 2022, which makes him an attractive trade candidate, but keeping him in Kansas City is what fans want and what Duffy wants.

If the team is opting to rebuild, however, it might make sense to send Danny Duffy elsewhere. That’s not necessarily what I want to see happen, but it would be the most practical thing.