5 Kansas City Royals players who won’t be on the big-league roster next season

Kansas City Royals who won't be back next season: Taylor Clarke

Taylor Clarke is another reliever who has been struggling with consistency his whole career. After becoming a free agent from the Arizona Diamondbacks, he signed a contract with the Kansas City Royals to begin the 2022 season.

Clarke is also 30 years old, and his play has been changing year by year with different problems arising. In his first season with the Kansas City Royals in 2022, he limited the number of walks and hits he gave up, but recently he has reverted back to his old ways.

In the 2022 season, he pitched in 49 innings and had an ERA of 4.04 with a bWAR of 0.6. He showed much potential to become a key piece of the Royals' bullpen, but in 2023, just like the team, he decided to take a massive step back.

In 2023, he has struggled far more. He is now walking batters three times more than in 2022, while also giving up base hits at a rapid rate. His ERA has soared to 5.66, and he has blown multiple games, leading to a record of 3-5. The Kansas City Royals could continue to use him, but his 2022 season may have just been a standout, and waiting for another to happen is just a pipe dream.