Stephen Woods

The Rule 5 draft is ideal for rebuilding teams to take some risks. That's exactly what the Royals did when they selected Woods from the Rays. Woods was initially drafted by the Giants who shipped the righty to Tampa in the Evan Longoria trade. The 24-year old righty hasn't played above High-A ball, having lost all of 2018 with a labrum issue. He returned in 2019, throwing 86.1 innings for the Charlotte Stone Crabs and posting a 1.88 ERA, about half his 3.56 xFIP. Control was Woods downfall, walking 33 to a modest 79 strikeouts. The ERA discrepancy was due to just two homers allowed. Last season, Woods' velocity was down a few ticks from pre-surgery. The Royals are taking the chance it returns another year removed from the procedure, along with hoping Woods can harness his control. He'll spend the season working in low-leverage spots before Kansas City decides on his long-term prognosis.