Winter meetings notebook: What? The Royals draft Ray Liotta?
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star
<!-- START /pubsys/production/story/story_assets.comp --> <script language="Javascript"> function PopupPic(sPicURL, sHeight, sWidth) { window.open( "http://media.kansascity.com/static/popup.html?"+sPicURL, "", "resizable=1,HEIGHT=" +sHeight+ ",WIDTH=" +sWidth); } </script>
<!-- END /pubsys/production/story/story_assets.comp --> NASHVILLE, Tenn. | No, it’s not that Ray Liotta.
The Royals picked a rehabbing left-handed pitching prospect, not the actor, in the Class AAA phase of the Rule 5 draft Thursday morning at the winter meetings. The two Liottas are distant cousins.
“Same name,” Royals farm director J.J. Picollo said. “He’s probably not going to make as much money as the actor, although it would mean he turned out all right if he did.”
The Royals invested $12,000 to select Liotta, 24, from the White Sox’s organization as their only acquisition in the draft. The club chose not to clear roster space to exercise their right to the third overall pick in the major-league phase.
“We felt there was nobody out there, based on our evaluation, who we think has impact potential,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “Our (40-man) roster doesn’t have a lot of flexibility right now.”
The Royals didn’t lose anyone in the major-league phase, but San Diego chose reliever Gabe DeHoyos in the Class AAA phase. DeHoyos, 27, was a combined 6-1 with a 2.45 ERA last season in 38 games at Class AA Wichita and Class AAA Omaha.
“We expected that someone might take him,” Picollo said. “His career numbers are tremendous, but we felt we have other guys who are very similar if not a little better.”
Liotta was the White Sox’s second-round pick in 2004 and went 19-6 in 42 games over his first two professional seasons before encountering shoulder problems. He eventually underwent surgery last August and isn’t expected to be ready for game action until June.
“Our understanding is that it was just a minor cleanout of the shoulder,” Picollo said. “It’s a calculated risk, but a minimal one to get a big left-handed pitcher who has had some success in the minor leagues.”
:lolBIG:
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star
<!-- START /pubsys/production/story/story_assets.comp --> <script language="Javascript"> function PopupPic(sPicURL, sHeight, sWidth) { window.open( "http://media.kansascity.com/static/popup.html?"+sPicURL, "", "resizable=1,HEIGHT=" +sHeight+ ",WIDTH=" +sWidth); } </script>
- <!-- Start: /pubsys/production/story/assets/story_link.comp -->
- Ray Liotta comparison<!-- End: /pubsys/production/story/assets/story_link.comp -->
<!-- END /pubsys/production/story/story_assets.comp --> NASHVILLE, Tenn. | No, it’s not that Ray Liotta.
The Royals picked a rehabbing left-handed pitching prospect, not the actor, in the Class AAA phase of the Rule 5 draft Thursday morning at the winter meetings. The two Liottas are distant cousins.
“Same name,” Royals farm director J.J. Picollo said. “He’s probably not going to make as much money as the actor, although it would mean he turned out all right if he did.”
The Royals invested $12,000 to select Liotta, 24, from the White Sox’s organization as their only acquisition in the draft. The club chose not to clear roster space to exercise their right to the third overall pick in the major-league phase.
“We felt there was nobody out there, based on our evaluation, who we think has impact potential,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “Our (40-man) roster doesn’t have a lot of flexibility right now.”
The Royals didn’t lose anyone in the major-league phase, but San Diego chose reliever Gabe DeHoyos in the Class AAA phase. DeHoyos, 27, was a combined 6-1 with a 2.45 ERA last season in 38 games at Class AA Wichita and Class AAA Omaha.
“We expected that someone might take him,” Picollo said. “His career numbers are tremendous, but we felt we have other guys who are very similar if not a little better.”
Liotta was the White Sox’s second-round pick in 2004 and went 19-6 in 42 games over his first two professional seasons before encountering shoulder problems. He eventually underwent surgery last August and isn’t expected to be ready for game action until June.
“Our understanding is that it was just a minor cleanout of the shoulder,” Picollo said. “It’s a calculated risk, but a minimal one to get a big left-handed pitcher who has had some success in the minor leagues.”
:lolBIG:
