To many, right-hander Wade Davis was the throw-in in the James Shields deal. However, according to Shields himself, fans (and the other MLB teams) need to watch out for the “Silent Assasin”.

Wade Davis via Keith Allison/Flickr

Though many teams see Davis as a reliever, especially after his success in the bullpen with Tampa Bay in 2012, the KC Royals will give him every opportunity to earn a spot in their 2013 rotation. That is something the fierce competitor is most looking forward to. That and a loyal fan base that should fill Kauffman Stadium if the team wins.

In 54 relief appearances in 2012 (70.1 innings), he allowed 48 hits and walked 29, compared to 87 strikeouts. Opponents hit a measly .189 against him. However, the Royals already have a few strong right-handed relievers. So they want him to channel last year’s aggressiveness over each start in the future.

In both 2010 and 2011, Davis made 29 big league starts. As a starter, he gave up around 23 homeruns a season and walks around 62 a season. As a starter, he hasn’t been a big strikeout guy: 218 over 352 innings.

In 2011, he pitched at Minnesota twice (two fairly solid starts) and at Chicago in his second start of the season (6IP, 5H, 2R, 3BB, 4K). He was lit up a bit in Detroit (6IP, 8H, 5R, 4ER, 2BB, 4K).

In 2011, Davis threw 184 innings, which was a career-high, but he only threw 70.1 innings in 2012. If he is used as a starter, it will be interesting how the Royals stretch him out. Will there be any innings limits?