KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals selected TCU left-hander Brandon Finnegan with their first-round pick in Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft Thursday night.
Scouts are divided on whether Finnegan projects as a starter or reliever. The 5-foot-11 junior dealt with a stiff shoulder this past season, raising concerns about his durability.
Finnegan’s fastball has been clocked in the upper 90s, though it tends to sit between 90 and 95 mph. He also has a curveball and slider that are both developing.
The Royals chose him with the 17th overall pick. The club also had the No. 28 pick Thursday night as compensation for losing Ervin Santana in free agency; the No. 40 pick in the competitive balance portion of the draft; and the No. 56 pick in the second round.

Royals strike deal with A’s
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics have acquired left-hander Justin Marks from the Kansas City Royals for cash considerations.
The A’s announced the deal Friday and said they optioned Marks to Triple-A Sacramento. Oakland later designated outfielder Kent Matthes for assignment to clear a spot for Marks on the 40-man roster.
The 26-year-old Marks went 3-2 with a 5.64 ERA in 13 appearances with two starts for Triple-A Omaha. He posted a 3.42 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 26 1-3 innings in 11 relief outings.
Marks made his major league debut April 17 against Minnesota after being called up from the minors that day for a brief big league stint.
Matthes was claimed off waivers from Colorado on March 20. He hit .217 with five home runs and 25 RBIs in 48 games with Sacramento and Double-A Midland.