Five things to know about new Royals minor leaguer Erick Mejia | The Kansas City Star

The headlining acquisition of the Royals’ three-team trade of relievers Joakim Soria and Scott Alexander was right-handed pitcher Trevor Oaks.

The Royals also nabbed a versatile, switch-hitting infielder from the Dodgers in Erick Mejia, a former Mariners prospect who signed with Seattle in 2012.

Here are five things to know about the 23-year-old from Villa Mela, Dominican Republic.

1. Last season was only his second complete professional campaign, as he’s been slowed by injury. But in the two years since being acquired by the Dodgers in January 2016, he played in 251 games, including a career-high 127 games in 2017.

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2. Although he’s spent the majority of his time at shortstop, Mejia logged 346 of his 1,030 innings at third base last season. He hadn’t registered time there before.

3. Mejia was chosen Texas League player of the week for the second time in his career. He hit 11 for 25 with two doubles, four homers and seven RBIs from July 24-30.

“Every pitch looked like a softball,” he said in a Spanish interview with Dominican outlet AME Sportscenter in October. “I felt so good.”

At Class AA Tulsa, he had a .289/.357/.413 slash line and hit 17 doubles, three triples and seven homers with 30 RBIs. He struck out 78 times in 356 at-bats spanning 102 games there.

4. At 5 feet 11 and 155 pounds, it’s not likely Mejia will develop a power stroke. But he has shown off speed, going 28 for 32 in stolen bases and registering 21 doubles and four triples last year.

5. Mejia, who turned 23 in November, played six games for the Águilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Winter League. He went 5 for 15 with one RBI and five strikeouts.