Royals acquire Lucas Erceg

Kansas City has made significant strides this season to field a competitive team every night. The Royals' rotation is solid, with both Lugo and Ragans leading the pack. JJ Picollo made moves to improve the bullpen with the additions of Will Smith, Chris Stratton, and John Schreiber. However, aside from Schreiber, the bullpen has been inconsistent. Before the trade deadline, Picollo was looking to add an outfielder and a bullpen arm. The team struck its first deal with the Rangers to acquire pitcher Michael Lorenzen. Lorenzen is an upgrade over Alec Marsh, but it's unclear if he will be in the rotation or the bullpen.
Shortly after acquiring Lorenzen, the Royals made a trade with Oakland for lefthander Lucas Erceg. Erceg is a great addition to the bullpen now and for years to come. Erceg is under team control until 2030 and isn't a financial burden. Although Erceg has years of team control, he's no spring chicken. The 29-year-old has a year and a half of big league experience. The Athletics, as expected, are having a fire sale with the team moving to Vegas in 2028, seemingly indifferent to their fan base in Oakland.
Erceg has an electric fastball averaging 98 mph. This fastball isn't the only pitch he brings to the Kansas City bullpen. Erceg also features a changeup, slider, and sinker, with the fastball being the most notable in his repertoire. While in Oakland this season, Erceg was solid with a 3.68 ERA. He generates swings and misses with his heater, striking out 41 batters in 36.2 innings pitched so far. Before acquiring Erceg, the Royals had been unable to find a dependable closer after Will Smith removed himself from the role and James McArthur struggled with blown saves.
The addition of Erceg is significant, but who did the Royals give up? Kansas City sent righthanders Mason Barnett and Will Klein, along with outfielder Jared Dickey, to Oakland. Klein, unlike Barnett and Dickey, has big league experience, having appeared in five games this season. In those games, Klein struggled with a 6.35 ERA in 5.2 innings pitched, striking out six batters. Both Dickey and Barnett are likely overlooked by fans. Barnett has played in a substantial number of games in the lower minors for the Quad Cities River Bandits, with 81 games in 2024. Dickey knows how to hit, with nine home runs and 40 RBIs this season. However, the 22-year-old needs to address his strikeout issues, having struck out 64 times.
The additions of Michael Lorenzen and Lucas Erceg should greatly improve the bullpen and possibly resolve the closer role. The decision to add Lorenzen gives the team a long reliever and another option for the rotation if Marsh continues to struggle or goes down with an injury.


Popular posts from this blog

Flashback Royals: Remembering a Murder Victim

Image
The Royals over the years have worn patches on their uniforms to remember tragic periods in American history including 9/11 and more. Kansas City in 2007 was stunned after learning that local teenager Kelsey Smith was abducted and murdered. The Royals wore light blue ribbons on their wrists in remembrance of the 18-year old after former manager Buddy Bell spoke to the Smith family.  Many Kansas Cityians remember the Kelsey Smith case well after the story of her abduction hit the local media and national media. On June 2, Smith was shopping at her local Target in Overland Park, KS looking for a picture frame for her boyfriend John Biersmith. While at Target, Smith's killer followed her throughout the store after noticing her at the jewelry counter. While Smith was in the checkout line, her abductor ran to his vehicle to grab his gun and waited for her to leave the store to grab her. The 18-year old was unable to fight off the kidnapper and was forced into her vehicle and...
Read more

Flashback Royals: The murder at the pool

Image
Self-defense is more important now than ever, and teams like the Royals are promoting it through various events. In 2008, the Royals held a self-defense class called T.A.K.E. to support The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation and honor Ali Kemp's life. Similarly, the Kelsey Smith Foundation, named after a girl abducted at a Target in Kansas in 2007, also focuses on teaching self-defense. The Royals later honored Kelsey Smith's memory as well. Ali Kemp's murder in 2002 had a profound impact on the Kansas City metro area. At 19, Ali was working as a lifeguard in Leawood, Kansas, during the summer. Her father believed it was a safe job: "It was a wonderful job, a neighborhood pool. And you would think the safest place in the world." However, her shift on that fateful day turned tragic. Around 3 p.m., Ali called a friend for company, but the friend missed the call. Shortly after, Laurel Vine, another friend, arrived at the pool and saw a man leaving. Thinking ...
Read more

Royals small connections to US Presidents

Image
The state of Kansas and the Kansas City metro have several connections to US Presidents, such as the 33rd President Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Although both Kansas and Kansas City have connections to the late Presidents, none of Kansas City's professional baseball teams such as the Monarchs, Athletics, or the Royals had the chance to meet either of them. However, former Royals manager Ned Yost has been to the White House more than once. Yost has met five US Presidents during his time in baseball. The former manager's first interaction with a President was with 39th President Jimmy Carter while living just outside of Atlanta. Yost said the 39th President attended games regularly: "Jimmy used to come a lot to the Braves games, and you could walk down the tunnel going to the dugout when Jimmy was there because Secret Service guys were all outside his little room they had for him and I’d waltz right in there and go sit down,” Yost said. “Him and Rosa...
Read more