SAD: After Friday, the clock may be ticking for KC Royals reliever Will Smith

Throughout much of his 12-season tenure in the major leagues, Will Smith has primarily functioned as a closer—a reliever known for handling the intense pressures and demands of pitching in critical situations on consecutive days and nights. However, based on his recent performance on Friday night, it’s unlikely that he will take the mound at any point during tonight’s game between the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles, who are facing off in the second match of their ongoing three-game series at Kauffman Stadium.

His outing on Friday was notably brief, and both Smith and the Royals are unlikely to forget or easily brush off the events of that night. This singular inning, strategically chosen by manager Matt Quatraro, only exacerbated existing concerns regarding the experienced reliever whom the team had recruited to help bring stability to their struggling bullpen.

Will Smith put the KC Royals in danger Friday night

Despite Kansas City’s 9-4 triumph over the Orioles, their ninth consecutive win at The K, the victory was achieved even with Smith’s struggles. Following a five-run surge by the Royals in the sixth inning, establishing a comfortable 6-0 advantage, Quatraro opted to bring in Smith to pitch in the seventh.

This decision nearly led to a catastrophe that the Royals could not afford. Despite facing difficulties in finding the strike zone, Smith’s pitches were either hit or narrowly missed by the Orioles: Cedric Mullins initiated with a single to center, pinch-hitter Austin Hays followed suit with another center single, and Jordan Westburg’s single to left loaded the bases.

While Smith managed to secure a pop-out from Ramón Urías for the first out and a strikeout against Gunnar Henderson for the second, he faltered against Adley Rutschman, the 2023 All-Star and Silver Slugger recipient, who crushed Smith’s 1-1 fastball over the left field fence for a grand slam.

Fortunately, after finally clearing the bases, Smith retired former Royal Ryan O’Hearn to conclude the inning. Nonetheless, the damage had been done, transforming what seemed like a secure game into a much more closely contested match.

In response, the Royals netted three runs in their half of the inning to support Smith and seal the victory. Despite this outcome, concerns regarding Smith remain unabated.

Will Smith’s poor performance further increased uncertainties surrounding his spot on the roster

Including Friday’s disturbing outing, opponents are ripping Smith at a .424 clip; he’s been pounded for 11 runs (14.14 ERA) and 14 hits (two of them homers) in just seven innings, and his WHIP is 2.714. He’s given up four runs twice, lost two times, and blown a save. Those are all unacceptable numbers that accurately reflect the quality of his early-season work and raise an important question. How long will the Royals tolerate Smith’s struggles? Determining his Royal future is something the Royals will do without regard to fan sentiment.

This is a notoriously forgiving club, one that too often errs on the side of patience when it probably shouldn’t. But in the context of this season, general manager J.J. Picollo, the man most responsible for the roster, would be wise to pull triggers sooner than his club has in the past. Why? Because this is a team admittedly removed from the process of “evaluation” it undertook last season and seemingly headed, with its 13-7 record, in the right direction. With continued good play and some luck, it’s also a club that could contend for its first postseas.

The Royals have promising options in Triple-A Omaha. Sam Long has recorded 12 strikeouts and allowed just one unearned run in 7.1 innings. Will Klein, considered a potential future closer, has also given up only one unearned run in seven appearances and is ranked as Kansas City’s 18th best prospect by MLB Pipeline. Walter Pennington maintains a strong 2.03 ERA over eight games leading up to tonight’s matchup against Nashville.

Smith’s performance may improve and he could become a reliable member of Quatraro’s bullpen in the future. However, there is a possibility that the Royals may not wait long for him to show improvement. Even though his contract is worth $5 million, a sum that the typically conservative Royals can afford to absorb.