Matt Sauer

Sauer had been tracking like a swing man, No. 5 starter or long reliever with the Yankees, but since they already have an abundance of prospects who fit that mold, he was left unprotected from the Rule 5 draft. The Royals swooped in and snagged Sauer for now, and if they like what they see in spring training, he should be able to handle a low-leverage long-relief role this year. Sauer, who turned 25 in January, is a 6-foot-4 righty with a decent fastball and shaky command. He most recently posted a 3.42 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 83 strikeouts in 68.1 innings as an old-for-the-level Double-A starter.