KANSAS CITY, Mo. If the Royals don't in fact trade Luke Hochevar before the regular season starts, they just might find that switching him to the bullpen was a move long overdue.
Hochevar just might excel in his new role.
To be fair, general manager Dayton Moore and manager Ned Yost didn't really have the option of switching Hochevar to the bullpen the past few years. Their starting rotation was so thin and weak, they virtually had to take a chance that Hochevar, a former No. 1 overall pick in 2006, would eventually live up to his potential.
Now with a rotation bolstered by James Shields, Ervin Santana, Jeremy Guthrie and Wade Davis, the Royals have the luxury of placing Hochevar in a position where he actually might succeed.
I've always thought that Hochevar was best suited for short relief, based on his history of overpowering opponents over short stints, then inexplicably losing it altogether during his characteristic blow-up innings.
Consider that in his 128 major-league s...
