The Rule 5 draft begins at 9.a.m ET as this year’s Winter Meetings in National Harbor, Md., draw to a close. Those unfamiliar with how the draft works can check out MLBTR’s full primer on the event here, but the short version is that teams with open 40-man roster spots can select players with four to five years of pro experience from other organizations if said player hasn’t been protected on the 40-man roster. Players who signed at 18 years of age or younger but have five years of experience can be selected, as can players signed at 19 or older who have four years of experience. Each selection costs $100K, but it’s not mandatory for teams to make picks. Clubs must carry chosen players on their active rosters (or the major league disabled list) throughout the entire 2016 season. Doing otherwise would expose them to waivers, and they’d then be offered back to their original club. Teams can also work out trades with the original organization to keep the selected player in the organization but send him to the minors.
The Rule 5 order is based on the reverse order of last season’s standings. The Twins own the No.1 overall pick, but they’re set to trade it to the Padres – who hold the No. 3 choice – according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (Twitter links). Minnesota will still make its selection at No. 1 and San Diego will do the same at No. 3. The teams will then make their trade, likely with money changing hands, as Mayo notes.
Courtesy of Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper, here’s a rundown of the players garnering attention entering the draft. And here, via Mayo, is the draft order and the number of players on the teams’ 40-man rosters:
1. Twins (39) – RHP Miguel Diaz, Brewers
2. Reds (38) – C Luis Torrens, Yankees
3. Padres (33) – IF Allen Cordoba, Cardinals
4. Rays (39) – RHP Kevin Gadea, Mariners
5. Braves (39) – RHP Armando Rivero, Cubs
6. A’s (40) – No selection
7. D-backs (38) – RHP Tyler Jones, Yankees
8. Phillies (40) – No selection
9. Brewers (39) – LHP Caleb Smith, Yankees
10. Angels (39) – RHP Justin Haley, Red Sox
11. Rockies (37) – No selection
12. White Sox (38) – RHP Dylan Covey, Athletics
13. Pirates (38) – LHP Tyler Webb, Yankees
14. Marlins (37) – No selection
15. Royals (39) – No selection
16. Astros (39) – No selection
17. Yankees (39) – No selection
18. Mariners (40) – No selection
19. Cardinals (39) – No selection
20. Tigers (39) – LHP Daniel Stumpf, Royals
21. Giants (40) – No selection
22. Mets (40) – No selection
23. Orioles (36) – OF Aneury Tavarez, Red Sox
24. Blue Jays (38) – RHP Glenn Sparkman, Royals
25. Dodgers (40) – No selection
26. Red Sox (39) – IF Josh Rutledge, Rockies
27. Indians (38) – LHP Hoby Milner, Phillies
28. Nationals (38) – No selection
29. Rangers (39) – LHP Mike Hauschild, Astros
30. Cubs (35) – No selection
SECOND ROUND
Reds – C Stuart Turner, Twins
Orioles – OF Anthony Santander, Indians
Rob L. 2
“Rule 5 Draft Results…”
…starts in 15 minutes.
jdgoat
I got excited and then disappointed real quick lol
mrmariner
Nerds
JayKCU
Its gonna be tough to carry the player through out the 2016 season.
docmilo5
Wow, the Padres only have 33 on their 40 man roster?
GeauxRangers
Pretty crazy
KB R.
Cubs have 35….. what’s your point?
donniebaseball
That’s a reasonable comment for this section. Being where the team is at, you could say that the Padres were positioned to take at least 1, probably 2 players in the rule 5 draft
sixpacktwo
The point is their minor league system only have 8 players older that 4/5 years in the minors. That is young.
CubsFanFrank
Because they’re the Padres and they’ll be bad whether they have 40 or 400.
stl_cards16 2
Easy to tell the Cubs fans that weren’t around the until the last couple years with comments like this.
xtraflamy
1
bandwagon trolls are so boring.
datrain021
Here’s the live link to the draft m.mlb.com/video/topic/40498098/v1214583383/live-ru…
Jimimc
A bit early on the “results” part
TheMichigan
So who were the guys who made it through the entire season from the 2015 Rule 5 Draft?
Rickard
Goeddel
Pedromo
Bowman
Any others?
a37H
Biagini for the blue Jays.
TheMichigan
Yea Biagini too that’s 5 right there
armsiderun14
Interesting how Rutledge has been with Boston for the past 2 seasons and then they take him here after no resigning him
BB9209
Not really…they just traded Shaw and Moncada. They need another capable infielder. He wasn’t needed prior to those trades.
armsiderun14
Well it’s interesting to me…I understand the need on the team as Rutledge is a pretty solid backup IF. It’s just kinda funny how they used the Rule 5 Draft to re-acquire someone that played for them the last 2 years.
Gogerty
Braves must have their eye on someone if dropping Perez as draft starts.
osfan77
G Yeah another 40 year D SP LOL They wanted Brach but, O’s wanted Mallex and Braves nixed that one
Brixton
I wanted to keep
Hoby Milner
fighterflea
Milner, was signed from the Phillies, not as shown here as of 9:20.
bmore12
Orioles will make their picks and be done for the entire offseason
randomness lez
This Dan Duquette’s Christmas, New Years, and 4th of July all rolled into one!!
ln13
Oh wow! He gave us an extra bonus this year. Now we get to watch the Orioles slog through the year with Flaherty, McFarland, Rickard and these two schlubs on the roster all year. A few more years, and Buck will be able to play an All-Rule 5 lineup.
oriolesfan33
In my opinion, the fact that the Orioles have so many rule 5 picks that have stuck around is a testament to their ability to use the draft to their advantage. Rickard was a great pick last year and Flaherty has been a capable utility man for years. I love the pick of Tavarez for the Orioles. He’s a speedy outfielder who can also play the infield and put up 13 triples in the minors last season. The Orioles need to get away from our power only philosophy and get some freaking OBP guys that won’t strike out 150 times per year and pop out at alarmingly high rates which are as bad as strikeouts.
Plus, would you rather them shell out $75MM for trumbo to have him go and screw us over on defense for four more years?
osfan77
Well said couldn’t agree more
Mike_Davis
Hmm, I wonder who the Dbacks are going to drop in order to add Fernando Rodney after grabbing two rule 5 players.
Mike_Davis
That second pick must have been been in round 1 of the AAA part of the draft.
sidewinder11
They only picked one player. Jones from NYY
crazysull
Josh Rutledge back to the Red Sox interesting
TheMichigan
Why’d the Tigers take Stumpf, I know we need bullpen help, but really? We don’t need him.
pretzelpants
I’m guessing it’s a sign that Avila may move Wilson.
KB R.
Man. Was hoping Rivero would get a look this spring for a shot at a spot in the Cubs pen. Solid pick ATL.
datrain021
I was shocked Rivero wasn’t getting a lot of pub before the draft. Seemed like a slam dunk to be selected.
dtcarroll1992
after looking at his numbers in the high minors I’m pretty excited about this guy. I guess the Cubbies just have too much depth in the pen to give him an opportunity
dhud
Reds take 2 catchers??
mikeyst13
Disappointed to see the Brewers potentially lose Diaz, but it’s going to be hard for the Twins to keep a Rule 5 guy who hasn’t been over A ball yet. I see him being sent back sooner than later.
petersdylan36
Well it says that the padres and twins were going to make a trade and the padres get the 1st selection so they might do what they did to Luis Perdomo and keep him all year
mikeyst13
Possible. Perdomo at least had a couple seasons in A and high A though, Diaz is still only 1 year removed from a fractured elbow and has only had 1 season above rookie ball. He’s very raw and is still working on his second and third pitches. They could try to sit on him all year, but he probably won’t get many innings. Milwaukee did it themselves a couple years back with Wang, basically burning a roster spot all year for him to sit in the bullpen and not pitch so it is possible.
sixpacktwo
I can not believe the Reds! They need Bullpen Arms and I believe some were there. Instead they draft not one but two catchers that look like both will be returned. How do you hide a catcher on your 25?
TheMichigan
Extra catcher and you could use him in a Tony Walters type where Wolters was the back up 2B and SS.
Just have them be backup infielders
mrkinsm
Because Mesoraco is going to probably spend the next 2 years on the DL and then retire, they need a backup to Barnhart.
yankees33
Wow. Yanks lost a lot of guys today. Lots of minor league pitching gone…including their #17 prospect
crazysull
Not a clue but I actually like the Red Sox pick, I think that this shows that they plan to platoon Holt and Panda at 3rd and Rutledge would be the new utility infielder. I had thought if they didn’t make a selection Swihart would win the last bench spot even with Leon and Vasquez also on the roster just because he can play OF. But now I guess it goes to Rutledge for now
petersdylan36
I don’t understand how or why trades happen like the Padres and Twins during this. So the padres get the 1st and 3rd pick and only give up money? Or do they trade the third pick for the first? And if it’s the former, do the twins do it because they don’t like anyone they see?
Mike_Davis
Teams usually draft for other teams because there are no players they want. They trade the player for cash or a PTNL.
Cardinals17
Has the Cardinals General Manager even been at the winter meetings??? So far that guy has been all hot air for the past few years. And when he does pick someone up in a trade or FA, they have been a bust. Obviously, either other clubs don’t want to deal with the Cardinals, or the Cardinals want someone for nothing. It’s time the Cardinals front office entered the 21st Century with the rest of the MLB!
stl_cards16 2
All this because of not selecting someone in the Rule V draft? Wow. Cardinals fans on here are the worst.
EndinStealth
A lot if them do the have a clue about baseball outside of video games.
EndinStealth
*don’t have
armsiderun14
Yeah I’m not really sure what all of these fans expected this offseason. We have not historically made big splashes (or even offers) to FAs (Price & Heyward were called “special exceptions”). This is not a strong FA market and the Cardinals also don’t tend to trade a bunch of prospect capital to acquire players. Given the return the CWS got for Eaton yesterday, I can’t see STL pushing to get a big-time OF through a trade. Additionally, it’s only December 8…there is still a lot of offseason
ln13
If you love the Rule 5 Draft, you should become an Orioles’ fan.
bronxbombers47
Four Yankees in the first 13 picks. Torrens is only 20 coming off injury and hasnt played above single A. Dont see how he is going to stick on a major league roster. I guess if anyone can do it it would be the Reds. Webb, Smith, and Jones are probably gone. All of them have very good shots at sticking.
66TheNumberOfTheBest
All I know about Tyler Webb is what I just read, 6’6″ and a lefty. Downward angle. He’d have to be pretty bad not to stick.
Especially if Searage gives him the JA Happ treatment.
But, who knows, maybe he’s pretty bad.
Robertowannabe
We shall find out. Cheap way to find a diamond in the rough. If they do not like what they offer him back to the Yanks and it only costs them a pittance. (is it still half of the selection fee the returning team gets if the original team wants them back) Webb at least is a little older and a college guy. Many times rule 5 guys are younger players that were signed as international FA and they are not polished enough yet to really have a chance to stick, especially on a team that is in the upper half of the league. Lower half, you can let them play and you were not going to contend anyway.
hobie004
Makes you wonder what some of these teams know about some of these guys. Rivero’ strike out rate is off the charts. The Cubs had 5 open spots to keep him. I wonder if he has arm issues.
Bob Knob
Four Yankees in the first 13 picks….I guess the Yankee farm system has some pretty good players in it…
The baseball evaluation people/scouts obviously have dramatically differing views on many of the Yankee farmhands from traditional anti-Yankee fans.
mehs
Can’t have it both ways. Either they are good and the farm system got worse or they aren’t good and the rankings were accurate. Most rule 5 picks wind up being roster filler AAAA type players.
triberulz
Milner > Cooney/Escobar/Crockett, good pick up. Indians obsession with lefty relief help cost them Santander our #30 prospect. Surprised no one took Nellie Rodriguez our #23 prospect a RH power 1B bat. Santander is versatile switch-hitter & can play 1B. Indians kept at High A ball Should of been at AA Akron, The Tribe’s hope was everyone would pass on Santander because of not playing above high A ball. The Orioles IMO got the best hitter with the last pick in this Rule 5 draft.
19astros62
Im surprised no takers for Teoscar Hernandez.
mikeyst13
He’s on the 40 man roster.
19astros62
Ah ok. I was reading an article that listed him as top 10 rule 5 draft player available. Looked it up again and it was posted on November 2015
start_wearing_purple
Josh Rutledge… the Sox just let him go a month ago. That’s just funny.
qbass187
Right? They outrighted him to get him off the 40 man just to take him in the Rule 5 to keep him on it all season? Weird.
CubsFanFrank
Man, the Yankees really got pillaged.
Personally, I never understand why teams would pass up a pick here. Basically, it’s a free prospect for a spring training audition, and the only obligation is a placeholder on the 40 man.
raef715
you might not have an open spot on the 40..or dont want to waste your time on a guy you realistically arent going to put on your roster and carry all season.
Lovetron
teams like the A’s should be all over this draft. Instead we keep career minor leaguers on minor league contracts on our 40man. We’re not even good at rebuilding.
Dalton1017
I think the Rangers may have found a diamond in the ruff… Hauschild does not walk many batters strikes out 7 per 9 and has a 50% GB rate… I like him a lot. will be a better option than Martin Perez.
Lovetron
As an A’s fan, thank god we kept guys like Chris Smith, Josh Rodriguez and Cesar Valdez. What would we do without 30+ year old minor leaguers??
ASapsFables
FYY-The White Sox entered the rule 5 Draft with one open spot on their 40-man reserve roster, not two. The selection of Dylan Covey now fills that remaining slot…for now.
qbass187
The Red Sox took Josh Rutledge… AGAIN??
joew
Eye balling Webb, seems like a good pickup for the pirates pen.. should be to hard to keep him on the 25man
Robertowannabe
Depends upon if they move Watson and Bastardo and who they move them for. I agree that it is an interesting pick.
dtcarroll1992
Armando Rivero last year in AAA: 105 SO in 67.2 innings with a 2.13 ERA, strugged with 35 walks in those 67.2 innings but sounds like a live arm with some potential who is actually ready for the jump to the majors. Which at 28… I guess it has taken him long enough..