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KC Royals Put Jandel Gustave On Waivers

By John Viril

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KC Royals rule 5 pick Jandel Gustave hit the waiver wire on Tuesday, according to Houston Chronicle reporter Evan Drellich:

Jandel Gustave excited the Kansas City Royals brass with his fastball that touched 100 mph. The team traded for him with the Boston Red Sox, who picked Gustave in the rule 5 draft this winter out of the Houston Astros sytem. The 22-year-old Gustave, however, had never pitched above high A and struggled at that level last season with an ERA of 5.01.

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The KC Royals had hoped that they could carry Gustave on the major league roster after he had excelled in a short stint pitching out of the pen for 16.2 innings to the tune of a 0.78 ERA at High A.

The Royals even held internal discussions about going with an eight-man bullpen to keep Gustave in the Kansas City system because rule 5 picks must remain on the major league roster for one year or they must be offered back to their original club.

If no other club claims Jandel Gustave off waivers, the KC Royals must offer him back to the Houston Astros for $50,000. Only if the Astros decline, can the Royals then offer Gustave a place on one of their minor-league clubs.

Gustave had a decent spring training, with a 1-0 record, 3.68 ERA in 7.1 innings pitched, 6 strikeouts, and 3 walks. Yet, it apparently wasn’t enough to convince KC Royals officials to put him on the roster.

Perhaps second baseman Omar Infante‘s elbow injury made Dayton Moore believe he needs to carry an extra middle infielder, or the solid performances of outfielders Paulo Orlando and Moises Sierra played a role in the decision.

With the Kansas City Royals expecting to contend in 2015 after winning the 2014 American League pennant, the team has little room to carry a raw talent that isn’t ready for big league competition.

Putting Gustave on waivers begins to clear up the KC Royals bullpen picture. The team is now unlikely to carry an eight man bullpen and instead will probably have a four-man bench. That fourth man is likely to be an outfielder after manager Ned Yost  told MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan on March 23 that he’d prefer to have an extra outfielder.

That statement suggests that Yost has been favorably impressed by the spring showings of outfielders Paulo Orlando and Moises Sierra. The 29-year-old Orlando is a career minor-leaguer from Brazil and has slashed .400/.423/.680 in camp. Meanwhile the 26-year-old Sierra has countered with a .333/.429/.458 line.

I expect Dayton Moore to hold off on the 4th bench player decision until just before camp breaks.

Next: Five Key Offensive Players For The KC Royals In 2015

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