Royals Pitcher Kyle Farnsworth To Try Starting Again

Righty Kyle Farnsworth, who hasn't started a game since 2000, is going to get a shot at the rotation this spring:

"Kyle Farnsworth is competing for a job in the rotation," pitching coach Bob McClure revealed Wednesday.
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"We're going to lengthen him out and see how it goes," McClure said. "Because what he showed me last year was the ability to back off a little bit and not pitch with his hair on fire. And, to be a starter, you have to be able to just kind of go pitch-by-pitch."

It's unknown how Farnsworth would potentially fit into a rotation that's returning all five of its 2009 primary starters along with Robinson Tejeda, but that aside, it's not as crazy a move as it sounds - the fastball/slider reliever added a two-seamer last year that allowed him to give hitters a third look. In addition, historically he hasn't shown much of a platoon split, posting equivalent strikeout rates against both righties and lefties.

There's no guarantee that Farnsworth will work out in a bigger role, but he has the repertoire and track record to justify a look as the Royals attempt to get a return on their $9.25m/2yr investment. Should Farnsworth fail to impress as a starter this spring, he will go back to competing for a setup role in front of Joakim Soria.

See what Royals fans are saying about this at Royals Review.