It Isn’t 2015: Why Is Wade Davis Still With the Kansas City Royals?
The fact that relief pitcher Wade Davis is still with the Kansas City Royals is astounding.
Let's be honest: Davis is one of the best relief pitchers to ever don a Royals uniform. He had a remarkable run in the bullpen from 2014-2016, following a disastrous debut season in 2013.
Davis memorably recorded the final three outs that secured Kansas City the 2015 World Series, the club's first in 30 years.
With that said, that's all in the past. This is 2021 and the Royals are in the middle of rebuilding now. The team is well below .500 on the season and is already looking on to 2022 and beyond.
Common sense would say that the Royals should be looking to players who will contribute within their updated timeline. Players like third baseman Emmanuel Rivera and outfielder Edward Olivares are prime examples of this. That raises the question of why Davis is still in Kansas City.
Davis, in his age-35 season, came back to the Royals on a minor-league contract. He originally was traded to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Jorge Soler. This trade was a move that corresponded with most of that 2015 World Series team leaving Kansas City. Davis was an All-Star with the Cubs in 2017, but never returned to his dominant form.
The wheels fell off while Davis was in Colorado, where he appeared in five games and had a 20.77 ERA. Those are hardly encouraging numbers and were a huge point of criticism when the Royals signed Davis back. The attempt to recapture some of those World Series memories has gone up in smoke in 2021.
Davis currently has a 6.63 ERA, the highest he has while a Royal, and is the worst amongst 2021 Royals pitchers with at least 10 innings pitched. There are no metrics that show Davis is close to his old form. He allows more hits and more runs, the fastball has lost its zip and batters are more aggressive against him because of that.
Don't be mistaken, this year's Royals pitching staff is hardly good. Mike Minor leads the team with a 5.34 ERA, eight wins and 139 innings pitched. Scott Barlow is the best reliever with 8 saves and 11.1 K/9. Even then, the numbers and performance Davis has this year still stick out on the staff. Arguably the worst Royals pitcher this year, Davis is just plain bad.
If there was no one else, no other options on the roster or in the farm system, Davis' performance could pass as a temporary solution. Yet, there are other options. Pitchers like Gabe Speier and Tyler Zuber are players who are younger, cheaper and possibly better than Wade Davis in 2021.
Speier is an especially intriguing option. The Santa Barbara, Calif. native has nine holds and five saves for the Omaha Storm Chasers this year. A 1.23 WHIP is solid to go with a deceiving 3.19 ERA.
While Speier or any other call-up wouldn't turn the season around, they would provide a spark and a glimpse of the Royals' future. In a disastrous 2021 season, that is all fans and the organization can hope for.
Ending the season with thrilling, young players who are passionate about the game is better than limping into 2022 with no clear path going forward. While Davis has certainly captured the hearts and eyes of Royals fans in the past, it is his time to go.
