The Royals lost four pitchers in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft, held on Wednesday. The San Diego Padres selected right-hander Grant Gavin, the Boston Red Sox selected left-hander Austin Lambright, the Miami Marlins selected left-hander Robert Garcia, and the Atlanta Braves selected left-hander Luis De Avila.
The 26-year old Gavin posted a 4.36 ERA with 92 strikeouts and 35 walks in 74 1⁄3 innings for Triple-A Omaha last year. He attended St. Pius X High School in Kansas City, then the University of Central Missouri. The Royals made him a 29th-round pick in the 2016 draft, and he has steadily risen through the system with good numbers at each level.