His career ERA is 5.55. He walks way too many batters and the same could have been said of him five years ago. He can't be counted on to truly challenge a hitter given his career strikeout numbers. And whether you look at this season or any other, he hasn't made good on the continual chances given to him. Kyle Davies has worn out his fresh start.
The initial acquisition seemed worth it. Davies was a former Braves draft pick (fourth round) right out of high school in Stockbridge, Georgia. Dayton Moore, KC's current GM, knew him well and most general managers raid the team they used to work for since those are the players they know the best. They acquired Davies in the 2007 trade for Octavio Dotel, a move that brought a promising arm in return that could serve as evidence that Moore was the right hire.
Three years later, Davies is still only 26, but it hasn't worked out. There was certainly reason to believe, since he was a stud at the lowest minor league levels, dominating competition at the age of 17. That continued even through AA, where he was named the #53 prospect on Baseball America's Top 100 in 2005. And even in 2008 and 2009, Davies has performed well at AAA when he's been sent back down. It's the majors that are a problem.
He's had a lot of chances at the top level. Of course, others have turned things around late in their career, and I agree he was worth a flier, but after 116 starts at the ML level, if you're still walking 4.5 batters each game, that's a real issue. Even this year, he's at his career norms with a 5.57 ERA and miserable BB/K totals of 45 and 60. Opposing batters are hitting a nice .270 off of Davies in 2010. It's just not working.
Was it a worthwhile risk? Sure. The signs were there that Davies might be able to translate into a decent major league starter, but at this point, his mostly abbreviated starts only tax the Royals bullpen and prove Moore to be a bit more stubborn than necessary. Davies has ran his course in Kansas City since there's no reason to believe things will turn around on a consistent basis.
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