KC Royals News: Roster moves and two good guys

The KC Royals used three members of its 2018 draft class, a group long on promise but short on results, against Cleveland Sunday afternoon. Instead of pitching to their potential, Kris Bubic, Jackson Kowar and Brady Singer combined efforts to doom Kansas City to a humiliating 17-3 loss.

Together, the trio surrendered 16 runs on 20 hits. The Royals never had a chance.

And Kowar’s disturbing pitching cost him his spot on the club’s active roster. A day after giving up seven runs and 11 hits in 3.1 innings, Kowar was on his way back to Triple-A Omaha, hopefully to rediscover how to pitch well. Reliever Joel Payamps returned from leave to replace him on KC’s active 28-man roster.

Kowar, who was 9-4 with a 3.46 ERA for Omaha but 0-6, 11.27 for the Royals last season, hasn’t seen action since returning to the Storm Chasers.

The KC Royals appear to be moving on permanently from pitcher Daniel Tillo.

There was a time Kansas City was high on Daniel Tillo, a lefthanded starter they chose in the third round of the 2017 amateur draft. But after an unremarkable four years in the minor leagues, Tillo’s days with the organization appear over.

In a move apparently tied to establishing their active and 40-man rosters for the start of the season, the Royals DFA’d Tillo last week, then placed him on unconditional release waivers, which per the club he cleared today (Twitter link).

Kansas City could re-sign Tillo, who’s now on the free agent market, but that doesn’t seem probable.

Tillo was 15-20 with a 4.25 ERA in 85 minor league appearances (63 starts) in the KC system. He underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2020.

A former KC Royals outfielder proves he’s one of the really good guys.

Count Brett Phillips among the good guys the Royals find to play for them. Phillips endeared himself to Kansas City fans in the 84 games he played for the club from 2018-2020; he then made his mark on the 2020 World Series history when, as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, he walked off the Dodgers in Game 4.

Phillips was at his best Tuesday night, making the evening one to remember for a young cancer patient.

We’ll let this tell the story:

Brett Phillips, one of the best.

Another former KC Royals fan favorite was part of history Tuesday evening.

Eric Hosmer hasn’t played for Kansas City since 2017, the season after which became a first agent for the first time and headed off to San Diego. But he remains one of the most popular Kansas City players ever, a vital part of the 2014 American League pennant winning club and the 2015 World Series title winner.

And while Brett Phillips was making a young girl’s day with the Rays, Hosmer reminded everyone that he, too, is one of the good guys.

Hosmer was at first base for the Padres when San Francisco coach Alyssa Nakken became the first woman to coach on the field during a regular season major league game. Hosmer immediately greeted Nakken with a handshake and his congratulations and, as FanSided’s Gabrielle Starr reports, spoke after the game of the special nature of the moment.

Two Royals aren’t with the big league club anymore while two former Royals proved, once again, that they’re pretty good guys.