Royals draft pitcher from Rays in Rule 5 draft
The Kansas City Royals wouldn’t mind if right-hander Stephen Woods Jr. pulls a Brad Keller.
The Royals selected Woods with the fourth overall pick in the Rule 5 draft Thursday.
Keller, the ace of the Kansas City rotation last season, was a Rule 5 pick by the Reds (fifth overall) in 2017, and the Royals promptly got Keller in exchange for cash considerations.
Woods, 24, went 9-3 with a 1.88 ERA in 18 games (12 starts) with Charlotte (Class A+) in the Tampa Bay Rays organization last season. He was an eighth-round draft pick by the San Francisco Giants in 2016.
Woods Jr. must stay at the major league level throughout the 2020 season or else be offered back to Tampa Bay for $50,000 (half of the selection fee). Keeping him on the roster won’t be as difficult as in past years; major league active rosters will expand from 25 players to 26 in 2020.
