How are these 2023 KC Royals faring with their new clubs?

STORY UPDATE: After this story published, the White Sox announced they've called up pitcher Brad Keller from Triple-A Charlotte.

Operating in the trade deadline seller's mode they know all too well, the KC Royals dealt closer Scott Barlow to San Diego last summer. The Padres missed the playoffs, then traded Barlow to Cleveland, where he'll get his first chance to face his old Royals teammates when Kansas City visits the Guardians in early June.

For Barlow, the grass on his newest club is, at least for the time being, only slightly greener than it is in KC — at 19-8, Cleveland leads the American League Central, but only by 2.5 games over the 17-11 Royals. And because the Guardians have Emmanuel Clase and his eight saves closing, Barlow is primarily a set-up man; he's 2-2 with a 3.46 ERA and one save.

Barlow's numbers aren't as good as they have been during his seven-season big league career, but he's faring better with his new team than many of the other 2023 Royals who no longer call Kansas City home.

Let's check in on some of those old friends.

Nicky Lopez — White Sox

The Royals did Lopez a favor at the trade deadline last summer: swapping him to Atlanta for pitcher Taylor Hearn put him on a contender and, eventually, into the playoffs for the first time.

The Braves, however, weren't so kind to the popular KC infielder who in 2021 became the first Royal shortstop ever to hit .300; after the season ended, they dealt him to the White Sox, where he again plays for a last-place team that, at 5-22, could finish the season with a worse record than the 106-loss 2023 Royals.

And Lopez isn't helping matters much. Although he's 7-for-22 in his last five games, he's hitting only .219.

Moving on...