The Kansas City Royals announced today that they claimed right-handed pitcher Mike Morin off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. In a corresponding roster move, the Royals have designated left-handed pitcher Onelki Garcia for assignment.
An Overland Park, Kan. product, Morin has pitched for the Angels in parts of the last four Major League seasons. He appeared in 10 games this year, posting a 6.91 ERA with no decisions in the big leagues, while he was 0-1 with a 3.20 ERA in 22 outings (one start) with the Angels' Triple-A affiliate, Salt Lake. A 13^th-round selection by L.A. in 2012, Morin has made 177 career appearances with the Angels, going 10-8 with a 4.49 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 164.1 innings. He matched a career-high with 60 appearances in 2016, going 2-2 with a 4.37 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP, while he ranked seventh in the A.L., stranding 81 percent (34 of 42) of his inherited baserunners.
He was originally selected by the Royals in the 40^th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, but elected to attend the University of North Carolina.