Where are they now? Finding former KC Royals as spring training begins

Will Klein, Gabe Speier, and Jackson Kowar all now call Seattle home

The Mariners may well rely in part on three ex-KC pitchers to help them avoid missing the playoffs for the third straight season. Will Klein, Gabe Speier, and Jackson Kowar are all in Seattle's spring training camp.

Klein seemed destined for an important spot in Kansas City's bullpen when the club suddenly traded him (and a pair of minor leaguers) to the Oakland Athletics last July to get Lucas Erceg. Despite control issues, Klein had pitched impressively in the Royals' minor league system, and pitched five big league games for the club before the Erceg trade. After giving up five runs in 1.2 innings for the A's, they traded him to Seattle in January.

Pitching in 41 games across parts of four seasons (2019-2022) for the Royals, Speier went 0-2 with a 3.83 ERA. But he's seen much more action since the Mariners claimed him off waivers from the Royals after the 2022 campaign — in 98 relief appearances for the M's, he's 2-4 with a 4.37 ERA, 11.1 SO9, and 2.9 BB9.

Kowar struggled in parts of three seasons with the Royals, and his 2-6 record and 9.12 ERA undoubtedly had much to do with their decision to ship him to the Braves for Kyle Wright after the 2023 season.

But the Braves traded him to Seattle less than three weeks later, and it's with the Mariners that his career has taken a turn. He tore his UCL during his first Seattle spring training and, after undergoing Tommy John surgery last March and missing the 2024 major and minor league campaigns, could find himself on the Injured List to start this season.