The Royals can’t spend their way to a better bullpen

Max Rieper of Royals Review argues that the Kansas City Royals cannot fix their struggling bullpen simply by spending heavily on free-agent relievers. General manager J.J. Picollo identified the bullpen as a major offseason priority after Kansas City relievers recorded a 5.07 ERA in 2026. However, Rieper notes that previous spending on free agents yielded poor results and that reliever performance remains notoriously volatile.

Rieper highlights the Brewers and Rays as models for building effective, flexible bullpens through trades, waiver claims, and internal player development rather than high-priced contracts. Picollo indicated the club aims to be aggressive in acquisitions rather than payroll, seeking diverse pitching profiles while developing in-house arms like Steven Cruz and Nate Pearson.