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| Mike Aviles (File photo: Lee Warren) |
Aviles, 30, was drafted by the Royals in the seventh round of the 2003 MLB amateur draft. He put up solid numbers in the minor leagues from 2003-2005, hitting 14 home runs and driving in 80 runs for Double-A Wichita in 2005. He played for the Omaha Royals in 2006-07, hitting 17 home runs and driving in 77 runs in 2007, before earning a shot with the big league club in 2008.
After his rookie season in Kansas City, Aviles was thought to be the shortstop of the future. He hit .325 with a .354 OBP and hit 10 home runs with 51 RBIs in 102 games, earning him the 2008 Player of the Year award in Kansas City. He finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. But in 2009, he suffered an elbow injury, leading to Tommy John surgery.
He bounced back and forth between Kansas City and Omaha after that. He put up solid numbers for Omaha this season (9 HR, 25 RBIs with a .307 average), but with the Royals getting younger, there didn’t appear to be a place for him (with Mike Moustakas at third, Alcides Escobar at short and Johnny Giavotella projected at second), other than as a utility player and recently he voiced his displeasure about being a utility player with Kansas City. So, a parting of the ways seemed inevitable.
Navarro, 23, has a career minor league average of .280 with a .349 OBP. The 5 feet 11, 175 pounder has shown signs of power – slugging 11 home runs twice in his career. He does strike out nearly twice as often as he walks (311 strikeouts, 170 walks), but general manager Dayton Moore believes Navarro has a bigger upside than Aviles.
“This guy has a better chance to be a good everyday player,” Moore told the Kansas City Star. “We got him for his upside in the bat, because he’s 23 years old and because he can play short, play third and occasionally play second. And he’s got two options.”
Volz, 23, is 8-8 with a 3.60 ER in A-ball for Boston over the past two seasons. He played at Baylor from 2007-09. According to SoxProspects.com, he has a “heavy 88-91 mph fastball that he tries to work down in the strike zone. Fastball shows late finish and downward action. At its best when spotted low on the corners and out of the middle of the plate.” The website says he uses his slider (77-81 mph) to generate swings and misses later in the count. And he has a low-80s changeup.
Navarro, 23, has a career minor league average of .280 with a .349 OBP. The 5 feet 11, 175 pounder has shown signs of power – slugging 11 home runs twice in his career. He does strike out nearly twice as often as he walks (311 strikeouts, 170 walks), but general manager Dayton Moore believes Navarro has a bigger upside than Aviles.
“This guy has a better chance to be a good everyday player,” Moore told the Kansas City Star. “We got him for his upside in the bat, because he’s 23 years old and because he can play short, play third and occasionally play second. And he’s got two options.”
Volz, 23, is 8-8 with a 3.60 ER in A-ball for Boston over the past two seasons. He played at Baylor from 2007-09. According to SoxProspects.com, he has a “heavy 88-91 mph fastball that he tries to work down in the strike zone. Fastball shows late finish and downward action. At its best when spotted low on the corners and out of the middle of the plate.” The website says he uses his slider (77-81 mph) to generate swings and misses later in the count. And he has a low-80s changeup.
