Kansas City Royals: Checking on my five bold predictions for 2019

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 29: Manager Ned Yost of the Kansas City Royals hugs starting pitcher Danny Duffy following their 5-4 win against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on September 29, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. It was Yost's final game as the manager of the team. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /

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Ian Kennedy #31 of the Kansas City Royals (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Bold Prediction No. 3: The Next Great Closer Emerges

Verdict: That’s Affirmative, Ghost Rider

Part of what made the Herrera-Davis-Holland bullpens of 2014 and 2015 so special was the fact that those guys were making peanuts, allowing general manager Dayton Moore to sign to bigger deals players at different positions, or keep around guys hitting arbitration. The financial flexibility really helped boost those two great Kansas City Royals teams.

Sadly, those HDH bullpens are but a fleeting memory. Holland went down in 2015 before leaving the Royals and bouncing between four National League teams. The Royals traded Davis to the Cubs, and he later left the Friendly Confines for the riches of Denver, where he tanked in 2019. Herrera, the last of the group, was traded during the 2018 season, and now pitches for the White Sox.

But enough about the past. Let’s talk about now.

May I interest you in an overpaid mediocre (at best) 34-year-old starting pitcher?

Ian Kennedy on becoming @Royals' closer: "It's another type of adrenaline that I've never felt before." #AlwaysRoyal pic.twitter.com/kGSJgfvMKI
— Bally Sports Kansas City (@BallySportsKC) July 29, 2019

Ian Kennedy took the closer job and ran with it. For the season, Kennedy appeared in 63 games, finishing 51 one of them, and recording 30 saves, which tied for ninth in the Majors. In just over 63 innings pitched, his ERA was 3.41, 39% better than the league average, while his FIP was even better, coming in at 2.99.

The knock on Kennedy is, of course, his contract. He earned $16.5 million last season while he’s set to make the same amount this season. That’s pricey for a closer, especially one on a 100-loss ball club.

Regardless, he stepped up and offered this team a strong presence in the back of the bullpen. In my bold predictions, I listed three pitchers who could be the team’s next great closer: Wily Peralta (who held down the job last year after the Herrera trade), Kyle Zimmer, and Richard Lovelady. Obviously, those guys didn’t seize the role as Kennedy did.

Now, for 2020, it will be interesting to see what happens with Kennedy. Can he repeat his performance? Will he top it? Or will he get moved during the last year of his contract?

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