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SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Right-hander Ramon Ramirez was acquired by the Kansas City Royals from the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named on Wednesday.
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The Royals also traded outfielder-first baseman Justin Huber to San Diego for a player to be named, and assigned right-handers Roman Colon and Chin-hui Tsao and catcher Ken Huckaby to minor league camp.
Kansas City also designated left-hander Jorge De La Rosa for assignment and optioned right-hander Kyle Davies to Triple-A Omaha, clearing the way for left-hander John Bale and right-hander Brett Tomko to get the final two spots in the rotation.
Right-hander Hideo Nomo, who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2005, strained his groin against San Diego on Tuesday night.
The 26-year-old Ramirez, once one of the top prospects in Colorado's system, set team rookie reliever records with a 3.46 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 61 appearances in 2006. He opened his career in the majors with 15 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings and finished his rookie year 4-3.
But Ramirez struggled with an elbow injury last season, going 2-2 with an 8.31 ERA in 22 games for Colorado. He was 4-0 with a 2.28 ERA in 25 appearances for Triple-A Colorado Springs. In nine spring training games, he had allowed seven hits and two runs in 12 2/3 innings, while striking out 13 and walking three.
"He's a guy with a power arm," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "We felt we needed to acquire somebody with some power from the right side to go along with (Leo) Nunez and some other guys we have in there. It's a good fit for us right now. We feel he's a guy who would impact our bullpen."
Manager Trey Hillman said Ramirez would be on the Royals' opening day roster as a late-inning reliever.
"We like his stuff, we like his power and we like his pitch-ability in late innings," Hillman said. "It's supposed to be very electric."
Nomo, a non-roster invitee signed to a minor-league contract, was a bullpen candidate after going 1-0 with a 4.80 ERA in seven spring games. Moore said he doesn't think Nomo would have to go on the disabled list.
"We're optimistic about that," Moore said. "The way I understand it, it's just a mild strain and he's just kind of day to day right now. When somebody has any type of strain to the lower part of their body as a pitcher, you want to be careful because the next thing you know it could lead to something else."
De La Rosa was a candidate to fill one of the final two spots in Kansas City's rotation, but he had a spring ERA of 8.03 and allowed four runs in four innings his last outing.
Davies, who was acquired in a trade in July with Atlanta for Octavio Dotel, was 1-0 with a 4.00 ERA in three exhibition games.
Huber came up through the Mets organization as a catcher, but switched to outfield and first base after being traded to Kansas City in 2004.
The 25-year-old Australian won the Texas League batting title and was the MVP of the Futures Game in 2005, but has been stuck behind a glut of outfielders and first baseman in Kansas City. Huber hit .346 with seven RBI in 26 spring at-bats.
The Royals also released right-hander Brian Lawrence, who was 1-2 with a 6.83 ERA in six starts with the Mets last season.
