Drafted in the 36th round (1,062nd overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2003.
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Malone was a pleasant surprise for the Dodgers, as he arrived in spring training without a defined role yet pitched his way into the low Class A rotation by mid-May. The Royals failed to sign him as a 36th-round draft-and-follow in 2003-04, and Los Angeles nabbed him as a nondrafted free agent in 2004 after national crosschecker Tim Hallgren saw him pitch for the Alaska League's Mat-Su Miners. Malone would have attended Tennessee had he not turned pro. He features an aggressive approach and good command of his sinker-slider combination. His fastball sits at 87-88 mph with late, hard sink, inducing plenty of groundballs. He spun back-to-back complete games in May, needing just 91 pitches in one outing, including 80 fastballs. He throws his slurvy slider at 75 mph with a spike grip. He also has a below-average changeup that he often tips off by slowing his arm speed. Malone gets into trouble when he tries to strike out hitters or gets too fine with his pitches. He profiles as a future setup man, and is strong and durable enough to handle the role. He should open 2006 in high Class A.
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