Royals acquire Minor Leagues Pounders and Goris from Pirates for Navarro

DALLAS, TX (December 7, 2011) – The Kansas City Royals announced tonight that the club has acquired minor league right-handed pitcher Brooks Pounders and infielder Diego Goris from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for infielder Yamaico Navarro.  Pounders has been assigned to the Wilmington (A Advanced) roster while Goris was assigned to Burlington (R).  Following the trade, the Royals 40-man Major League roster stands at 39.

Pounders, 21, posted a 5-5 record with a 3.68 ERA in 36 games (one start) for Class A West Virginia in 2011.  In 66.0 innings, the 6-foot-4, 255-pounder allowed 61 hits while striking out 72 against just 14 walks.  The Pirates’ second round selection (53rd overall) in the 2009 Draft is a native of Temecula, Calif.

The 20-year-old Goris, who turns 21 tomorrow, hit .350 with 20 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 46 RBI and 53 runs scored for the Pirates’ Dominican Summer League club in 2011.  The 6-foot-2, 165-pound right-handed hitter also stole 15 bases in 18 attempts.  Goris, a native of Santiago in the Dominican Republic, is a career .302 hitter over four seasons in the Pittsburgh system, having been named an All-Star in the Dominican in both 2010 and 2011.

Navarro, 24, was acquired by the Royals from the Boston Red Sox on July 30 in exchange for infielder Mike Aviles.  He hit .304 in six games for the Royals and is a career .206 batter at the Major League level in 42 contests.