This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers' Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

KANSAS CITY -- In the buildup to Spring Training, we¡¯re utilizing this newsletter to go around the horn to assess the Royals¡¯ roster for 2025 and look at what prospects are on the rise at each position. Catch up on previous installments: Catcher, infield, outfield, rotation.

Finally, we¡¯re at the bullpen -- and we timed it just right.

On Wednesday, the Royals agreed with All-Star reliever Carlos Estévez on a two-year, $20.2 million contract with a $13 million club option for a third year (or a $2 million buyout). The deal is expected to become official in the coming days.

It¡¯s a big addition, as the Royals will likely pair Est¨¦vez with Lucas Erceg for save opportunities. Both righties throw in the upper-90s and have elite secondary stuff.

You can never have too many relievers, especially good ones, because of volatility over a long season. In 2024, the Royals¡¯ bullpen posted a 4.13 ERA and was third-worst in the Majors in strikeout rate at 20.8%. But it was right around the middle of the pack with an 8.8% walk rate, tied for 16th.

The unit struggled early on and didn¡¯t have a set closer who could be relied on, leading the Royals to acquire Erceg and Hunter Harvey around the Trade Deadline. Even though Harvey only threw 5 2/3 innings before getting injured, having Erceg handle the highest of leverage situations helped the rest of the ¡¯pen settle in, and the Royals really finished strong, with a 3.85 bullpen ERA the final two months of the season -- and a 2.77 ERA the final month.

Est¨¦vez¡¯s addition not only helps the back end of the bullpen but adds to the depth of the Royals¡¯ pitching staff, as we¡¯ll see below. That could certainly help in a trade as the offseason winds down if they still want to find another hitter, although it would take more than one or two relievers to acquire the kind of impact bat they¡¯ve been searching for this winter.

Here¡¯s what that bullpen looks like right now:

The locks: Erceg, Est¨¦vez, Harvey, John Schreiber, Chris Stratton
The Royals are expecting a healthy return for Harvey, who knows how to handle late innings in close games and could be part of the mix with Erceg and Est¨¦vez for the eighth and ninth innings. Schreiber should also see high-leverage spots earlier in the game.

Stratton is owed $4.5 million in 2025 after posting nearly a career-worst 5.55 ERA last season, just slightly better than his 5.57 ERA in 2019 between the Angels and Pirates. The Royals are hoping he can bounce back and be a multi-inning option.

The competition: Angel Zerpa, Sam Long, Carlos Hernández, James McArthur, Evan Sisk, Steven Cruz, Jonathan Bowlan, Alec Marsh, Daniel Lynch IV, Kris Bubic, Kyle Wright
Five locks means there are three spots remaining. And there¡¯s a lot of competition for it.

The Royals will need lefties, and Zerpa and Long seem like the frontrunners in this group. Zerpa, who is out of options, was solid last season with a 3.86 ERA, helping the Royals out of a lot of jams, and he has power stuff. Long posted a 3.16 ERA and saw leverage innings, too.

Hern¨¢ndez is also out of options but hasn¡¯t been as consistent, only throwing 30 innings last year. But the righty is also another high-powered arm who could find a role in the sixth or seventh inning if he can keep the walks down. McArthur had his ups and downs last year and ended the year on the injured list. There¡¯s still confidence that he can be effective in the right role, but there might not be room.

Marsh, Lynch, Bubic and Wright are all competing for the fifth starter spot, so one will be in the rotation. The others could fit in the bullpen -- Bubic, Marsh and/or Lynch especially, as they¡¯ve all seen success there before -- or be in Triple-A as starting depth. Wright might need more time to build up coming off a long layoff from shoulder surgery.

Sisk, Cruz and Bowlan will also be part of the Royals¡¯ bullpen depth.

Left-handed prospect Noah Cameron likely won¡¯t make the Opening Day roster as a reliever; the Royals view him as a starter, and if he¡¯s not in the big league rotation, he should be logging innings in Triple-A until a need arises. But if the Royals are in a similar spot as they were last year down the stretch and need a bullpen arm, Cameron could be an option.

Top 30 prospects: Luinder Avila (No. 26), Eric Cerantola (No. 29), L.P. Langevin (No. 24)
There are fewer names here than the rotation assessment earlier this week because most pitching prospects are developed as starters until the team thinks they might benefit from a move to the bullpen. Even Avila is still considered a starter and will likely be in the Triple-A rotation, but because he¡¯s on the 40-man roster, he might be able to break into the big leagues as a reliever.

Cerantola is also on the 40-man roster but actually is a reliever, although he made seven starts early in 2024 when he was in Double-A, pitching up to five innings. When he got to Triple-A in August, he was used as a one- to two-inning reliever. He performed well, posting a 2.97 ERA in 72 2/3 innings between both levels. The 24-year-old possesses some interesting weapons, including an upper-90s fastball. He registers a ton of strikeouts -- and a lot of walks. If he can keep the command issues at bay, he¡¯ll fit in the big league bullpen soon.

Langevin was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 Draft out of Louisiana-Lafayette and will make his pro debut this season. He has a unique -- and, by all accounts, elite -- fastball, which makes him someone to watch in the Minors this year.