Fansided · 2 days ago
Ranking Royals’ replacement options for Carlos Estévez
After losing closer Carlos Estévez at the start of the season, it seemed like the Kansas City Royals were never able to correct course and avert disaster in 2026. Once Estévez went down, the bullpen experienced a catastrophic chain of events that contributed to one of the team's worst seasons in years.
From Matt Strahm’s nightmare 2026 season to a number of injuries throughout the pitching staff, the Royals simply endured too many challenges to overcome. As a result, the Royals' bullpen ended the season as one of the worst in the entire league. In fact, it was hard to find any real bright spots out of the pen when all was said and done. But without Estévez, who can blame them?