When general manager Dayton Moore and the Royals front office discussed improving their bullpen this spring, they went down the line of relievers and took stock of what those relievers offered.
They hoped Tim Hill’s funky, side-winding delivery would confuse hitters — at least for a while. They hoped left-hander Brian Flynn, who was injured most of last season, would return to his 2016 form and reach back for a sinker that batters had averaged .174 against. They hoped Rule 5 acquisitions Burch Smith and Brad Keller would find ways to command their powerful fastballs against major-league competition, and they hoped Brandon Maurer would throw a change-up like he did when he was with the Padres in 2016.