Royals Select Pitcher Cesar Cabral in The Rule 5 Draft, Trade Him To Yankees
Kansas City Also Selects Left-Handed Pitcher Thomas Melgarejo in Triple-A Phase
The Kansas City Royals today selected left-handed pitcher Cesar Cabral from the Pawtucket (AAA) roster of the Boston Red Sox with the fifth pick in the Major League Baseball Rule 5 Draft. The Royals then traded Cabral to the New York Yankees for cash considerations, keeping the club’s Major League 40-man roster at 39. In addition, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher Thomas Melgarejo from the Chattanooga (AA) roster in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 Draft.
The 24-year-old Melgarejo (mel-guh-RAY-ho) from Minatitlan, Veracruz, Mexico, pitched for Saltillo (AAA) in the Mexican Summer League last season, compiling a 4-2 record with a 3.55 ERA in 49 relief appearances. He has posted a 1-0 record with a 2.58 ERA (10.2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 6 BB, 12 SO) in 18 relief appearances for Aquilas de Mexicali in the Mexican Winter Leagues. The 6-foot-1, 216-pounder is 19-21 with a 4.54 ERA in 228 career minor league outings (32 starts), including his time in Mexico (2005, 2010-11).
The Royals did not lose any players from today’s Major League or minor league phases of the Rule 5 Draft.
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