Royals Predicted To Demote 27-Year-Old Spring Training Standout To Triple-A
Is it better to be a bullpen pitcher in Major League Baseball or your team's top starting pitcher in Triple-A?
That's the question Kansas City Royals left-hander Daniel Lynch IV could be asking himself every day this week as his team prepares to make last-minute roster cuts ahead of Opening Day next week.
Obviously, everyone wants to be in the majors for as long as possible. But successful starting pitchers wind up making a lot more money than relievers when they hit the open market. Lynch, who has spent spring training competing for a rotation spot, will do all he can at this point to keep those starting dreams alive.
After a tight battle for much of the spring, Jeremy Greco of SB Nation recently predicted that Lynch would be demoted to Triple-A in deference to Kris Bubic in the rotation, while preserving a major league roster spot for other pitchers, like Carlos Hernández, who are out of options.
"Daniel Lynch IV made a strong push for this spot, but Bubic’s last outing seems likely to have cemented him in," Greco wrote.
"Lynch’s quality starting pitching should shift him to Omaha to begin the year where he can stay stretched out as a starter and ready to fill in as needed in that role."
Lynch, 27, has spent parts of four seasons in the majors with the Royals, but 2024 was the first time he was ever used as a reliever at the big-league level. He's gone back to starting this spring and allowed five earned runs in spring training in 14 innings, striking out 11 and walking none.
In his big-league career, Lynch has a 5.24 ERA as a starter (266 innings) and a 1.84 ERA as a reliever (29 1/3 innings). Sample sizes may be divergent, but the relief role could quickly become permanent if Lynch doesn't earn a rotation spot at some point this season.
There's nothing that states Lynch can't eventually become a piece of the Royals' bullpen if it's needed. But the Triple-A starter plan is the best way for the team to preserve all of their options at the season's outset.
More MLB: Royals Urged To Pry Top Prospect From Orioles For Daniel Lynch IV Trade Package
Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org