This week, the Royals’ projected Opening Day roster is becoming clearer. On Thursday, the Royals announced the optioning of right-handed pitcher Jonathan Bowlan to Triple-A Omaha.
On Friday, shortly after the Royals’ afternoon game against the Rangers, the Royals announced two more moves: right-handers Steven Cruz and Will Klein were optioned to Omaha as well.
It was unlikely that any of the three recently optioned pitchers would make the Opening Day roster at the start of Spring Training.
After all, the Royals invested heavily this offseason in improving the bullpen, as evidenced by the acquisitions of veterans Will Smith, Chris Stratton, Nick Anderson, and John Schreiber. Even though the bullpen looked a little more open after the injury to Carlos Hernandez early in spring camp, it was likely that Bowlan, Cruz, and Klein would have had to have sensational Cactus League campaigns to even be considered for an Opening Day roster spot.
Therefore, with Minor League options remaining, it makes sense for the Royals to option them now so they can focus on getting ready for Minor League Opening Day in Omaha.
Even though all three pitchers will begin the year in the Minor Leagues, they will likely be up to the Major League level at some point in 2024. Thus, here are three questions, one for each pitcher, that Royals fans should focus on after the news of their demotions.
Will the Royals Move Bowlan to the Bullpen Full Time?
Bowlan only made two appearances this spring before his demotion on Thursday. He posted a 5.40 ERA in two outings, including two runs allowed on five hits in 3.1 IP. He struck out two batters over that period but also walked two, contributing to a WHIP of 2.10 in Cactus League play.
The Royals’ 2nd Round pick in the “hyped” 2018 MLB Draft, Bowlan missed all of 2022 due to recovery from Tommy John. As a result, last season was a bit of an up-and-down campaign for Bowlan in Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha due to missing the entire previous year.
Bowlan pitched 102 innings over 24 appearances (including 21 starts) in the Minor League last year. He was used primarily as a starter at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. With the Naturals, he gave up a 7.20 ERA, particularly fueled by a HR/FB rate of 20%. On the other hand, he generated a 28.7% K rate, 20.7% K-BB%, and 3.93 xFIP in Double-A. That was a big reason he received a promotion to Omaha despite the high ERA numbers.
In Omaha, the K-BB% declined to 8.8%, and the ERA still was a bit high at 5.24. A big reason for the decline in strikeouts was his inconsistent fastball command against better competition. Preston Farr of “Farm to Fountains” pointed this out in a July 2nd appearance.
Bowlan did pitch more innings (67) in Omaha and did so primarily as a starter (12 of his 14 appearances with the Storm Chasers were starts). Thus, Royals fans have to wonder what Bowlan’s numbers would’ve looked like had he transitioned to the bullpen a bit sooner in 2023.
The former Memphis Tigers product did make his MLB debut down the stretch in 2023. In two appearances and one start (as an “opener”), he posted a 3.00 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in three innings of work. That included three strikeouts and zero walks, a promising sign that Bowlan’s plus control, a calling card of his as a prospect, could transition to the Major Leagues.
Bowlan primarily relies on a slider and four-seamer combo that he threw 41.1% of the time and 39.3% of the time at the Major League level. With the Royals last year, when he could locate both pitches properly, he could produce effortless strikeouts, as seen in his compilation below from his appearance against the Tigers.
At 27, the clock is ticking for Bolwan, who is on his last Minor League option. While the Royals were comfortable stretching him out as a starter last year, his path to the Majors will likely come through the bullpen. One has to wonder if the Royals will work on his pitch mix for the remainder of the spring. According to Savant, he did showcase a sinker (12.5% usage), changeup (5.4% usage), and curveball (1.8% usage), but he threw all of those at such minuscule rates in 2023.
Could Bowlan succeed as a reliever in the Major Leagues with a three or four-pitch mix? It’s possible, especially if he can add a bit on a four-seamer that averaged 94.9 MPH a year ago in the Majors.
Perhaps more concentrated work and limited innings can help Bowlan tap into his stuff and velocity more in Omaha, which could help him earn a callup sometime after the All-Star break.
Can Cruz Harness His Control?
Acquired from the Twins in the Michael A. Taylor trade last spring, Cruz showed flashes of promise after a rough MLB debut (which also happened to James McArthur). Cruz seemed to do best as an “opener” last year, as he started four games when he “opened” for Royals “bulk inning” pitchers (typically, he was paired with Alec Marsh, who thrived in that bulk role).
According to Fangraphs splits, as an “opener,” he produced a 1.59 ERA and 2.90 FIP in 5.2 IP compared to a 7.71 ERA and 6.26 FIP in 7 innings as a traditional reliever. Unfortunately, Cruz won’t have that role at the beginning of the year, as the Royals rotation looks pretty solid to start the year, especially after acquiring Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo.
Regardless of role, though, Cruz struggled immensely with control and command during his MLB debut.
Even though he produced a K% of 24.2%, he also sported a BB% of 17.7% and a K-BB% of 6.5%. For an organization that is trying to emphasize more “strike throwing” at all levels, those kinds of BB% and K-BB% numbers aren’t exactly going to earn Cruz more innings in the future. Jon Heasley and Dylan Coleman are prime examples of that (as they are no longer in Kansas City after struggling in both categories a year ago).
Cruz’s ERA of 6.75 in four appearances this spring wasn’t impressive. However, he only walked two batters and struck out five, producing a K/BB ratio of 2.50, a 1.14-point improvement from his MLB debut.
Cruz’s main issue this spring was more command, as he allowed three runs and five hits in Cactus League play. So, while he wasn’t walking guys (which is good), he made many mistakes in the zone. For a pitcher with questionable PLV pitch metrics (as seen below), that lackluster command is not good, though I imagine the Royals coaching staff was encouraging him to be more risky when pitching in the zone this spring.
Royals fans shouldn’t exactly give up hope on Cruz by any means. He seemed to improve with each outing at the Major League level in 2023. Furthermore, his stuff got better movement-wise at the end of the season, as evidenced by this strikeout of the Yankees’ Aaron Judge in the Royals’ last game.
Cruz’s focus now in Omaha, especially in the first couple of months, is ironing out that command and improving his control (which will limit the walks).
If Cruz progresses in those two areas, he could become a reliever like Carlos Hernandez at the very least, with the upside to perhaps be something more in 2025 and beyond.
Will this Strong Spring Give Klein the Confidence to Make MLB Debut in 2024?
Klein was added to the 40-man roster this winter to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft in December. After struggling in 2022 (10.51 ERA in 30 appearances and 43.1 IP), he had a nice rebound last season. He posted a 3.38 ERA and 2.77 FIP in 21 appearances and 29.1 IP with the Naturals last year. He also sported a K rate of 33.6% and a K-BB% of 22.9%. Those impressive numbers were why Klein was named the Royals’ representative in the MLB Futures Game during All-Star weekend.
Klein struggled a bit in his promotion to Omaha, though he wasn’t “horrific” by any means.
His ERA rose to 5.66, but his FIP was more palatable at 4.37. His K% also remained strong at 28.2%, but the rise in walks affected his K-BB%, which ended up being 13.8%. Overall, Klein experienced some growing pains with the Storm Chasers. That being said, he certainly did his part to demonstrate to the Royals organization last season that he belongs to be in the Major League bullpen discussion as soon as 2024.
In Cactus League play, the former 5th-round pick in the shortened 2020 MLB Draft has performed well, which is promising. In 4 appearances and 3.2 IP, Klein has struck out six batters while walking only two, good for a 3.00 K/BB ratio. He also has allowed zero hits and runs, which is impressive, even if it is only Spring Training.
As a result of this solid spring performance, Klein was recently named to the Royals’ “Spring Breakout” prospect roster for their March 17th game against the Milwaukee Brewers’ top prospects.
The Royals do not need to rush Klein, especially with all their current depth in the bullpen, even in the wake of the Hernandez injury. That said, Klein is a powerful arm with legitimate stuff who seemed to embrace his role in the bullpen after making that transition a season ago.
Continue to keep an eye on Klein, who’s seemed to put behind a horrific 2022 season.
As Klein’s confidence grows this spring, his performance could continue to blossom in Omaha. That could force the Royals to call him up for his MLB debut sooner rather than later.
Photo Credit: Steph Chambers/GettyImages
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