He’s back! The Royals decided to bring back an old friend this offseason in left-hander Will Smith. They originally acquired him in 2010 in a trade that sent Alberto Callaspo to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Angels are the team that drafted Smith out of Gulf Coast State College in the 7th round of the 2008 MLB Draft.
Smith had made his major league debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2012, a season where he posted a 5.32 ERA while striking out 59 in 83.2 innings pitched. He didn’t break out until 2013, when he posted a 3.24 ERA for the Royals in in 33.1 innings pitched. The Royals then decided to trade Smith to the Milwaukee Brewers for outfielder Nori Aoki, who played a significant role in the 2014 World Series run.
After Smith left Kansas City, he blossomed as a good late-inning reliever and has become a veteran major league player who has spent 11 seasons in the big leagues. Outside the Royals, he’s spent time with the Brewers, Braves, Astros, and Rangers. Over that span, he’s totaled 611 innings pitched and compiled a 3.67 ERA, What is even crazier is he has become the first player to win three straight World Series (Braves, Astros, Rangers, in that order). Which makes you think… are the Royals next?!
Smith was the bullpen arm the Royals acquired this offseason with the most name recognition, and he is the front-runner to close out games for the Royals this year, even though James McArthur showed he could be successful in that role late in the season. The lefty has a career total of 113 saves and has been closing games for competitive playoff teams. You have to imagine that experience has him leading the pack as the guy who could see the most save opportunities. And if things don’t go like the Royals hope for this year, and they are selling at the deadline, having Smith be successful in a late-inning closers-type role will potentially increase his value at the deadline.
Having a veteran presence in the bullpen like Smith, along with others like Chris Stratton and Nick Anderson, really presents an opportunity for the Royals to mentor the younger guys like James McArthur, John McMillon, Will Klein, and others who have the potential to be the future back end of the bullpen. There aren’t many relievers with Smith’s experience pitching in the playoffs and having a long career as a successful high-leverage reliever.
The Royals want those younger guys to take the next step, and these veterans will help take some of the pressure off of them to be “the guy” so they can continue to learn and grow at the major league level. It’s hard enough to try to make it to the big leagues. It’s even harder to grow your game so you can stick to that next level. Smith is one of the most exciting names in a newly revamped bullpen, which should be fun to watch.