The Royals shipped utility infielder Yamaico Navarro to Pittsburgh late Wednesday night to make room for tomorrow morning's Rule 5 Draft. In exchange for Navarro, the team received pitcher Brooks Pounders and infielder Diego Goris from the Pirates.
The Royals acquired Navarro from Boston last August along with reliever Kendal Volz for infielder Mike Aviles. That transaction may have cost Frank White his job, so these minor leaguers better be worth it.
Diego Goris will turn 21 years old tomorrow (Happy Birthday Diego!). The right-handed hitting infielder has spent his entire career in the Dominican League, where his bat has steadily improved each year. He hit .350 with a little bit of power and speed. Goris seems to be pretty raw, but not all that young. He will be assigned to short-season Burlington, North Carolina.
Brooks Pounders is a 21-year old right-handed pitcher taken in the second round of the 2009 draft out of high school. Bounder has a huge frame, tipping the scales at over 270 pounds. He enjoyed his best professional season last year in low A ball, posting a 3.68 ERA in 66 innings, almost entirely in relief, with 72 strikeouts and 14 walks. Pounder throws in the low-90s and his best pitch is a slider. He projected as an innings-eating starter out of high school, but his fate may be in relief now. He will be assigned to High A Wilmington.