Royals set 40-man roster ahead of tonight's deadline
KANSAS CITY, MO - The Kansas City Royals announced today several moves to set the club's 40-man roster at 40 for the offseason reserve list deadline which occurs at midnight ET tonight.
The club has added outfielder Lane Adams, infielders Christian Colon and Cheslor Cuthbert and right-handed pitcher Michael Mariot to the 40-man roster. In corresponding roster moves, the Royals have designated left-handed pitcher Noel Arguelles and infielder Irving Falu for assignment, while right-handed pitcher Felipe Paulino has elected to become a free agent in lieu of accepting an outright assignment to Omaha.
Adams, 24, was named the Wilmington (A-Advanced) Player of the Year in 2013. He batted .276 with seven home runs, 39 RBI and 23 stolen bases for the Blue Rocks before a July promotion to Northwest Arkansas. He finished the season with Omaha (AAA), helping the Storm Chasers win the Pacific Coast League championship by going 3-for-5 with four RBI in the series clinching win over Salt Lake. Adams was a 13th-round selection in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.
Colon, 24, was the Omaha Player of the Year last season. He hit .273 with 12 home runs, 58 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 131 games. Colon had an impressive second half, hitting .335 (56-for-167) while posting a .406 on-base percentage. He was KC's first-round selection in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.
Cuthbert, 21, hit .247 with 37 doubles, eight homers and 59 RBI in 134 games between Wilmington and Northwest Arkansas (AA). He hit .280 with 21 doubles and 31 RBI with the Blue Rocks, before being promoted on June 13. Cuthbert was signed by the Royals as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2009.
Mariot, 25, posted a 4-5 record with 11 saves and a 3.56 ERA in 47 appearances with Omaha last season. He totaled 66 strikeouts in 60.2 innings, while posting a 1.39 WHIP. The right-handed pitcher was an eighth-round selection in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Nebraska.