SURPRISE, Ariz. Royals manager Ned Yost made the distinction a few days ago in his office. They didnt just want to revamp their bullpen options from last season, it went beyond that. They had to make changes to that unit after a 104-loss season. Those changes have kept coming into February.
Internal options werent nearly going to suffice for the Royals this offseason, and theyve continued to add players with experience and whove had success pitching at the back end of games.
First they added former All-Star closer Brad Boxberger about 10 days ago. Then they picked up left-handed reliever Jake Diekman. Friday, Drew Storen joined the bullpen brigade as the Royals continue their efforts to transform a unit that was undoubtedly a weakness in 2018.
Storen, 31, hasnt pitched in the majors since Sept. 1, 2017. He spent 2018 recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent late in September 2017.
Im about right where I should be, even if I wasnt coming off surgery, at this time in spring training, Storen said on Sunday.
Eighteen months removed from surgery, Storen signed a minor-league contract with the Royals. His deal also included an invitation to big-league camp.
An Indiana native drafted 10th overall by the Washington Nationals out of Stanford in 2009, Storen registered a 43-save season with the Nationals in 2011. He also saved 29 games for the club in 2015.
In 2016, the Nationals traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays before the season, and the Blue Jays traded him to the Seattle Mariners during that same season. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent going into 2017. He posted a 4.45 ERA in 58 appearances for the Reds that season, and he posted the highest walks per nine innings (3.8) in his career.
Storen said the biggest difference throwing since his surgery has been his ability to spin the ball.
Regardless of velocity, Ive always relied on spin in one way or the other, Storen said. You tend to get around things a little bit more. I probably didnt realize how much it was affecting me until I got a new elbow.
The Royals will hope to get a version of Storen that more closely resembles the way he threw in his last season with the Nationals when he finished with a WHIP of 1.11 and averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings.
Hes coming off of surgery, you know, Yost said. Kind of like Mike Minor a couple years ago coming off of surgery. We ended up having something pretty good there. Youre always looking for guys that are going to bounce back and be productive, and he definitely fit in that category. Its another good signing from our scouts.
Minor, a former starter for the Atlanta Braves, missed the 2015 season following shoulder surgery on his throwing arm. He made 65 relief appearances for the Royals in 2017 and won 12 games as a starter for the Texas Rangers in 2018.
After Storens signing became official on Friday afternoon, he arranged to fly out of Indianapolis on Saturday to join the team in Arizona as soon as possible.
Hed just lugged his bag to his locker around 9 a.m. local time when reporters entered the clubhouse. He said he got in around 1 a.m.
