KC Royals Trade Pitcher Brooks Pounders To Angels
The KC Royals dealt 26-year-old pitcher Brooks Pounders to the Los Angeles Angels in return for minor-league hurler Jared Ruxner on Thursday night.
Brooks Pounders made his debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2016, but only notched a 9.24 ERA in 12.2 innings pitched working out of the bullpen. However, Pounders did whiff an encouraging 9.2 batters per nine along with a solid 2.1 BB/9. The six home runs he surrendered in a mere 12.2 innings is what drove his poor ERA.
Though he was a reliever with Kansas City, Pounders started seven games for Omaha and posted an excellent 3.14 ERA in 80.1 innings for AAA Omaha. Pounders missed bats with a 10.1 K/9 in the Pacific Coast League last season, but young arms like Matt Strahm, Josh Staumont, Eric Stout, and Eric Skoglund surpassed him within the KC Royals system.
In return, the Kansas City Royals get 24-year-old Jared Ruxner. Ruxner went 4-8 with a 3.08 ERA at A Burlington and A+ Inland Empire. Ruxner dominated at Burlington with a 1.44 ERA, but he struggled at A+ in 11 starts with a 5.15 ERA.
Ruxer had TJ surgery his final year at Louisville in 2014. Had a strong start last season in A ball. #Royals
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) December 2, 2016
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However, part of Ruxner’s appeal is that the Royals don’t need to put him on the 40-man roster to retain his rights. Whereas Kansas City needed to keep Pounders on the 40-man or expose him to the upcoming Rule 5 draft. With the trade, the KC Royals now have an open spot on the 40-man roster raising the possibility they could take a player:
#Royals trade RHP Brooks Pounders to Angels for Class A RHP Jared Ruxer. Frees up spot on 40-man to take part in Rule 5 draft next week
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) December 2, 2016
The Pounders for Ruxer deal is unlikely to prove significant in 2017, unless the KC Royals come up with a Rule 5 gem in the upcoming draft. Such a player would need to stay on the major-league roster all season or else the Royals would have to offer him back to the team they drafted him from for $25,000. Ruxer looks like a deal that might benefit Kansas City in the future, while Pounders can probably contest for a roster spot on the Angels this season.