How bad was the Kennedy deal for the Royals?


Heading into the 2016 season, the Royals were hoping to make another run at a World Series title with Eric Hosmer and company.
 Following the end of the 2015 season, Kansas City was looking to sign a top market type of starting pitcher that could eat up multiple innings for the team. Kansas City considered other arms before signing Ian Kennedy. Scott Kazmir and Yovani Gallardo were players Kansas City took a hard look at. The Royals interest in Kazmir was pretty high before the Dodgers swooped in and signed Kazmir to a three year contract worth $48 million. While many Royals fans were disappointed to see the team miss out on signing Kazmir; but looking back on Kazmir's time with the Dodgers, the Royals made the right decision to not sign the left hander. While with the Dodgers, Kazmir dealt with multiple injuries including a hip injury and a number of intercostal injuries.
 Following Kansas City's missed opportunity to sign Kazmir, the team also showed interest in right hander Yovani Gallardo. Kansas City's interest in Gallardo was very interesting due to the fact that he wasn't a top market type of starting pitcher; however, according to Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors, Gallardo was a "solid and durable" starting pitcher. At the time, Gallardo didn't pitch less than 184 innings. In the same article, Todd believed Gallardo would have been a pricy free agent signing for the Royals. In the end, the Orioles were able to sign the right hander to a two year deal worth $22 million guaranteed with a team option for a third season.
  Shortly after signing with Baltimore, Gallardo was traded to the Mariners for outfielder Seth Smith. Gallardo's time with Seattle was a disappointment to say the least. While with the Mariners, Gallardo posted a 5-10 record with a 5.72 ERA.
 Despite passing on both Kazmir and Gallardo, the Royals still wanted to bring in a pitcher that could eat up multiple innings in the rotation. Former General Manager Dayton Moore and the Royals settled on former Padres starting pitcher Ian Kennedy. The Royals’ signing Kennedy was a big surprise to Royals fans because of the salary the team handed the right hander. On January 29, 2016 Kennedy and the Royals agreed to a five year deal worth an eye popping salary of $70 million dollars guaranteed.
 Kansas City liked what they saw out of the Scott Boras client in the first year of the contract. The right-hander posted an 11-11 record in 33 games started. Kennedy, in his first season with Kansas City, did exactly what the team had hoped for—eat up innings. Kansas City's $70 million dollar man threw a little over 195 innings.
  Following the end of Kennedy's first season with Kansas City, his contract ended up to be a big bust for the Royals’ front office. Heading into the 2017 season, Kennedy and the Royals both hoped to see 195 innings eaten or more. Kennedy's second season in Kansas City was just a glimpse of what was to come during the right-hander's tenure in the midwest.
 Kansas City unfortunately saw Kennedy's pitching numbers suffer with an ERA over 5 with an ERA of 5.38 and a 5-13 win-loss record. The Royals not only saw the former San Diego pitcher's innings decrease from 195 plus to a disappointing 154 innings pitched. Heading into the middle part of the contract, Kennedy saw his numbers improve from the 2017 season, but they still weren't great. The Kansas City right hander posted an ERA of 4.66 the following season with a 3-9 record.
 Although Kennedy's numbers improved compared to his down season in 2017, Royals management believed Kennedy would benefit from a move to the bullpen. The ball club’s decision to move the one time durable starter to the bullpen paid off greatly for the team. However, Kennedy wasn't thrilled with the team's decision to take him out of the rotation. Kennedy told Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star that "Doing something new, it’s exciting,” Kennedy said. “I told them that it took me a while to mentally grasp it. Then I told them as soon as they made the decision, I was ready for either or, start or relief.” Although Kennedy told Worthy he was ready for either role with the Royals he wasn't exactly thrilled with his new role in Kansas City. 
Following Kennedy's time with Kansas City, he told The Star "Cal was there and kind of helped me because this is what he did in his career, he would go from starter to reliever," Kennedy said of Royals pitching coach Cal Eldred. " I didn’t want to do it. I don't think anybody really wants to. It's just kind of a stage. Now, I look back on it as it revived my career a little bit. Not many people are signing — I mean, I would’ve been a free agent. I would’ve been a 36-year-old starting pitcher that eats up innings and just gets starts. Not many people are starters like that. As a reliever, it kind of revived me. It brought up my stuff, made my body feel a lot better. I look back at it as a total positive. Dayton was the first one to tell me about it and kind of bring it up and believe in me as a reliever.”
 Although Kennedy didn't want to move to the bullpen in Kansas City, he's glad he made the transition with the Royals to revive his career. Following the end of Kennedy's time in Kansas City, he told Kennedi Landry of MLB.com, "When I was starting, it probably took just about every bit of those days in between starts [to recharge],” Kennedy said. “You feel like you got hit by a truck, and now it's just a little different. Your body feels better.
  “The big part has been moving to the bullpen. You're just training a little differently. You're throwing a little differently, and it's actually brought up the velocity a little bit. Just elevated everything.” Kennedy continued: I like to watch, and if there's any questions, we have such a young group that we bounce off ideas, or they'll ask me or Bush different things,” Kennedy said. “That's what I like the most, bouncing off ideas, learning different pitches and something I can help with. I think that's what makes the game a lot of fun.”
 Although Kennedy's starting days in Kansas City didn't pan out the way the team had hoped for when they signed him to the five year deal, Kennedy has been able to revive his career as a closer. Now at the age of 37, the right hander has been a big part of multiple team's bullpens including the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Now looking back at the Royals decision to sign Kennedy over Kazmir and Gallardo, they made the right decision despite his disappointing stats with Kansas City.

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