KANSAS CITY – Kan. – The Kansas City T-Bones announced today that the contract of left-handed pitcher Eric Stout has been purchased by the Cincinnati Reds, and right-hander Kevin Lenik has had his contract purchased by the Boston Red Sox.  

The two are both former Kansas City Royal farm hands, with Stout spending time with the Royals last season in the Major Leagues, and the two were teammates last season at AAA Omaha. The pair are the second and third players to be sold this season for Kansas City and the 14^th and 15^th since opening day 2018 for the T-Bones. Right-hander Randall Delgado went to the Yankees on May 24^th.

“I am so happy for both of those guys to get an opportunity,” said T-Bones Manager Joe Calfapietra.  “They are going to have an opportunity to play at a high level and get back to the big leagues for Stout and make the big leagues for Lenik. They are both going to good organizations and have a chance to move up the ladder, and we hopefully will get a chance to see them on TV.” 

Eric Stout also served as the team’s pitching coach and made two starts for the T-Bones. He made his T-Bones debut on May 19^th  at home against Fargo-Moorhead where Stout tossed five innings, giving up only one run, three hits and five strikeouts. In his time with Kansas City, Stout made only one more appearance on May 25 on the road against Winnipeg, going four innings and allowing two runs, two hits, three walks and eight strikeouts. In his two appearances, Stout went 1-1 in nine innings with a 3.00 ERA, 13 strikeouts and only three walks.

Stout, a Glen Ellyn, Illinois native, spent all of 2018 with the Kansas City Royals organization, including making his Major League debut on April 25, 2018 against Milwaukee. He was released by Kansas City on September 10, 2018 and would sign a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres on January 24, 2019 and receive an invite to spring training. Stout would appear in three games with the Padres, giving up four earned runs in three innings with three strike outs. The Padres released Stout on March 27th from their AAA roster at El Paso in the Pacific Coast League, and he signed with KC on April 1, 2019. 

Stout would open the 2018 season at AAA Omaha in the Pacific Coast League, making five appearances in relief and giving up four earned runs in 7.1 innings with a 4.70 ERA before getting called up to the Royals. With the big club, he would make three total relief appearances in 2.1 innings, giving up six earned runs, striking out two, and surrendering seven hits.  

At AAA Omaha, Stout appeared in 38 games, making two starts and notching four saves on the season for the Storm Chasers. He would post a 3-3 record with a 4.75 ERA in 55 innings and give up 29 earned runs on 70 hits with 44 strike outs and only 13 walks. In 2017 Stout would spend the entire season at AAA Omaha, going 5-2 with five saves in 44 relief outings and one start. Stout set a career high in games pitched with 45. He would toss 69.1 innings, punching out 56 and giving up 23 earned runs on 58 hits. Stout was the Royals 13th round pick in 2014 out of Butler University where he played three seasons before being drafted after in junior season. His final season at Butler he led the team in starts going 3-7 with 6.78 ERA. Stout led the team with 67.2 innings pitched and in strikeouts with 64.  He finished the year ranked fourth in the BIG EAST Conference with 64 strikeouts, and he picked up his lone save in his only relief outing. 

Kevin Lenik appeared in three games for Kansas City in 2019, working three innings with a save and posting a 6.00 ERA with five strike outs. Lenik started his professional career with the Texas Rangers back in 2016 where he attended an open tryout and signed a minor league contract. He started with the A-Short Season Spokane Indians of the Northwest league where he would leave with one Pitcher of the Week honor. During spring training in 2017, Lenik was released from the Rangers organization.

After his release, Lenik would sign with the Frontier League’s Windy City Thunder Bolts. With the Thunder Bolts he pitched in 11 relief appearances, boasting a 1-0 record with a 3.48 era. The Royals saw promise in him and signed Lenik where he started with rookie-level Appalachian league and later be promoted to the AAA Omaha Storm Chasers.  In two seasons with Omaha, Lenik was released after a total of 2-2 record 56 strikeouts, 30 walks, and 4.31 era in 39 games. After the Royals released Lenik in April of 2019, the Kansas City T-Bones picked him up on May 12th.