The trade that sent Josh Willingham to the Kansas City Royals wasn't easy for some of the Minnesota Twins to swallow.

"He's been a joy to have, kind of my mentor the past three years and pretty much my best friend, to be honest with you," Brian Dozier said of Willingham. "It's a tough loss, but it's not like he passed away or anything. We'll talk tonight and tomorrow and the next day."

The Royals will be right back at Target Field on Friday for a weekend series and the Twins return to Kansas City in late August.

"You hate to lose a guy like that, but a good thing for him," Dozier said. "A bunch of the guys on the team were really close with Josh. I hate to see him go. Playing for a contending team down the stretch, he's excited about that, but yeah, it sucks."