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Kansas City Royals: Five questions to answer in Spring Training

By Leigh Oleszczak

SURPRISE, AZ - MARCH 07: An overall view of Surprise Stadium prior to a spring training game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium on March 7, 2018 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
SURPRISE, AZ - MARCH 07: An overall view of Surprise Stadium prior to a spring training game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium on March 7, 2018 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /
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Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Wily Peralta (43) (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Wily Peralta (43) (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

FIVE QUESTIONS TO ANSWER IN SPRING TRAINING

NUMBER 3 – WHO WILL THE CLOSER BE?

While on the subject of the bullpen, that brings up an even bigger question: Who is going to close things down for the Royals?

The team has a few options, but more than likely it’ll come down to last year’s closer Wily Peralta and recently signed Brad Boxberger. Peralta stepped into the closer’s role and had 12 saves with the Royals last year after Kelvin Herrera was traded. He didn’t have any blown saves, but it’ll be interesting to see if he can back that campaign up with another solid one.

As for Boxberger, he’s been a reliever throughout his entire career. Even more so, he’s been a closer, appearing in the 2015 All-Star Game after putting up stellar numbers.

While Peralta and Boxberger will probably be the eighth and ninth inning guys coming out of Spring Training, I hope at some point the Royals go in a different direction and try to find their future star closer.

Both of the guys mentioned on this entry are only in KC for 2019 and then will hit free agency, so that’s not exactly ideal for a rebuilding team to have their closer for just a season. Even likelier is that if both pitch well, they’ll be dealt for more prospects and then the Royals will HAVE to find their next closer.

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