Royals 28-Year-Old May Have Won Himself A Starting Job Next Season

Kolek arrived alongside fellow righty Ryan Bergert in the trade with San Diego, and it was Bergert who immediately joined the major league rotation. Kolek was kicked to Triple-A Omaha, but injuries to other starters allowed him five starts with the Royals down the stretch.

In those five starts, though, he put up a snazzy 1.91 ERA and allowed just 23 baserunners in 33 innings. The Royals quite obviously won't tip their hand this soon, but Kolek just may have done enough to earn himself a rotation look next spring.

“He should have a lot of confidence,” manager Matt Quatraro said after Kolek's final start of the season on Wednesday (via Anne Rogers of MLB.com). “He took advantage of his opportunity and did a great job. There’s a lot to like about what we saw.”

The existing starting pitching depth the Royals have won't work in Kolek's favor. If everyone is healthy coming into camp, the Royals probably have five locks: Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Kris Bubic, Michael Wacha, and Noah Cameron.

However, the Royals know that injuries are a near certainty for starting pitchers at this point. A year ago, Alec Marsh was likely a preseason favorite to grab a rotation spot -- and he never wound up throwing a pitch all season.

Kolek will get his shot next season at some point as long as he stays healthy. And if he proves this five-start stretch was no fluke, he just might ingrain himself in the Royals' long-term plans.