Kansas City T-Bones pitcher Robert Calvano will join the San Diego Padres, according to an announcement.
Calvano, a right-handed pitcher, is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, who attended Bishop Miege High School.
He is the third T-Bones player whose contract has been purchased this off-season, according to a T-Bones spokesman.
The T-Bones, who won the American Association championship, saw eight players’ contracts sold to affiliated clubs during the season and two more players signed with AAA Mexico.
Calvano was signed by the T-Bones on Aug. 14 to add depth to the club’s pitching staff during the stretch run of the championship season. He made his T-Bones debut Aug. 23 against Winnipeg, where he threw two scoreless innings in an 11-1 T-Bones win.
He appeared in six games for the T-Bones, with a 0-1 record and 7.71 earned run average in seven innings. He allowed five earned runs in his second outing on Aug. 27 against Sioux City, and one more earned run the rest of the season in four appearances. He struck out four in his last four innings.
Calvano pitched for the University of Nebraska at Omaha and after graduation was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 38th round of the 2016 June MLB draft. In his first professional season he played rookie ball for the Cardinals and posted a 1-1 record with a 6.06 ERA and 14 strikeouts in the Gulf Coast League.
In 2017 he started the year with Johnson County in the Appalachian league. While with the Cardinals, Calvano went 0-3 with a 5.23 ERA in six games in the “Appy” league. In July, he moved up to play with short-season A club State College in the New York Penn League. While with the Spikes, he went 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in 5.1 innings.
Calvano spent 2018 with two other teams before joining the T-Bones. He started the year at High A with the Palm Beach Cardinals in the Florida State League before moving to low A Peoria in the Midwest League. He had a combined record of 0-0 and averaged a 7.71 ERA in 4.1 innings of relief.
The T-Bones players contracts purchased since opening day 2018:
• 1/8/19: RHP Robert Calvano – contract purchased by the San Diego Padres, 41st player sold and 11th since opening day 2018.
• 11/29/18: OF Keith Curcio – contract purchased by the Boston Red Sox, 40th player sold and 10th since opening day 2018.
• 11/2/18: LHP Nick Lee-–contract purchased by the Cincinnati Reds, 39th player sold and ninth since opening day 2018.
• 8/4/18: IF Dylan Tice—contract purchased by New York Mets, 38th player sold.
• 7/24/18: IF Taylor Featherston—contract purchased by the Cincinnati Reds, 37th player sold.
• 7/13/18: LHP Joe Filomeno—contract purchased by the Seattle Mariners, 36th player sold.
• 7/17/18: IF/OF Nick Torres—contract sold to the Texas Rangers, 35th player sold
• 7/7/18: LHP Carlos Diaz—contract purchased by Cincinnati Reds, 34th. player sold.
• 7/3/18: LHP James Buckelew—contract purchased by the Chicago Cubs, 33rd player sold.
• 5/22/18: OF Adam Brett Walker—contract purchased by the Washington National, 32nd player sold.
• 5/19/18: RHP Cody Martin—contract purchased by the New York Mets, 31st player sold.
T-Bones 2019 season tickets and mini plans are on sale online, by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting the T-Bones Stadium offices. Group ticket sales also are on sale. The opening day will be Friday, May 17, at the T-Bones Stadium, when the T-Bones will play the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks.
- Story from T-Bones