An abnormal number of picks from the 2020 Rule 5 Draft survived Spring Training and made the Opening Day rosters with their new clubs. The Orioles and Marlins both broke camp with a pair of Rule 5 picks on the active roster, while the Pirates opened the season with one Rule 5 pick on the roster and one on the injured list. Most clubs that are carrying a Rule 5 pick, unsurprisingly, have little in the way of postseason aspirations. There are a few October hopefuls among those still clinging to Rule 5 picks, however, and it’ll take some uncharacteristically strong Rule 5 showings for those players to survive the season.
We’ll take a look at how the surviving Rule 5 draftees are faring periodically throughout the year. Here’s the first glance…
Currently in the Majors
- Brett de Geus, RHP, Rangers (via Dodgers): Injuries throughout the Rangers’ bullpen might have helped the 23-year-old de Geus crack the Opening Day roster in Texas. He’s out to a shaky start, having walked three batters and hit another three against just two strikeouts through his first 5 2/3 innings. On the plus side, 13 of the 15 balls put into play against him have been grounders.
- Akil Baddoo, OF, Tigers (via Twins): Baddoo is one of the best stories (maybe the best) of the young 2021 season. The 22-year-old homered on his first swing in the big leagues as his family rejoiced in the stands, and in less than two weeks’ time he’s added a grand slam, a walk-off single (against his former organization) a 450-foot dinger off Zack Greinke and a fourth homer. Baddoo has a ludicrous 1.342 OPS through his first 29 plate appearances in the Majors, and while he obviously won’t sustain that, he’s forcing a legitimate audition in the Detroit outfield. Baddoo missed nearly all of 2019 due to Tommy John surgery and didn’t play in 2020. Despite that layoff and the fact that he’d never played above A-ball, the Tigers called his name in December. It may have seemed like a stretch at the time, but it doesn’t look that way now.
- Garrett Whitlock, RHP, Red Sox (via Yankees): The Sox would surely love for Whitlock to stick, having plucked him from their archrivals in New York. So far, so good. Better than good, in fact. Through 6 1/3 scoreless innings, Whitlock has yielded three hits and punched out nine batters without issuing a walk. He’s sitting 95.6 mph with his heater and has posted a hefty 16.9 percent swinging-strike rate. Whitlock also had Tommy John surgery in 2019, so even though he’s previously been a starter, it makes sense to monitor his workload ease him into the mix as the Sox hope to get through the year with him in the ’pen.
- Tyler Wells, RHP, Orioles (via Twins): Wells has allowed a pair of homers and surrendered three total runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 frames. The O’s aren’t trying to win in 2021, but their bullpen also has four arms that can’t be optioned (Cesar Valdez, Shawn Armstrong, Adam Plutko, Wade LeBlanc). Keeping both Wells and Mac Sceroler (currently on the IL) brings them to six and will hamper their flexibility.
- Zach Pop and Paul Campbell, RHPs, Marlins (via Orioles and Rays): Pop was technically the D-backs’ pick in the Rule 5, but Arizona immediately flipped him to the Marlins for a PTBNL. The 24-year-old didn’t allow an earned run in five spring frames but as I was finishing this post, he served up a three-run homer, bringing his season line to seven runs on three hits, three walks and two hit batters in 3 1/3 innings. Campbell has struggled to a similar extent. He’s surrendered five runs (three earned) and given up four hits and three walks in just 2 2/3 innings. With the Marlins out of tank mode, it’ll be tough to carry both all year.
- Jordan Sheffield, RHP, Rockies (via Dodgers): Sheffield was the No. 36 overall pick in the 2016 Draft, but control issues prevented him from being protected on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen gives Sheffield three plus pitches in his scouting report (fastball, curveball, changeup) but also pegs his command at a 30 on the 20-80 scale. Sheffield has walked or plunked 15 percent of the hitters he faced in the minors. He’s yet to walk anyone 13 batters he’s faced with the Rockies, but he did hit one and has also tossed a pair of wild pitches. That said, he’s also sitting 95.5 mph with his heater and is unscored upon in 3 2/3 frames.
- Luis Oviedo, RHP, Pirates (via Indians): Oviedo was the Mets’ pick at No. 10, but they had a deal worked out to flip him to the Pirates in exchange for cash. Oviedo has been hammered for six runs on six hits (two homers) and two walks with five strikeouts through 4 2/3 innings so far. Even pitching for a tanking club, Oviedo will need to show some improvement in order to stick on the roster all season.
- Will Vest, RHP, Mariners (via Tigers): The Mariners kept last year’s Rule 5 pick Yohan Ramirez for the whole season, but it’ll be tougher to do with a full schedule in 2021. The Mariners’ young core is also beginning to rise to the big leagues, and Vest will need to fend off some intriguing young arms. He’s done a decent job so far, allowing a pair of runs (one unearned) on five hits and four walks with five strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.
- Trevor Stephan, RHP, Indians (via Yankees): Stephan whiffed 16 of 44 hitters this spring to earn a spot on the Indians’ Opening Day roster, but he’s allowed four runs in his first four MLB frames. The 25-year-old has surrendered five hits (including a homer), walked a pair and hit a batter so far while facing a total of 21 hitters.
- Ka’ai Tom, OF, Athletics (via Indians): Tom, 26, raked at a .310/.412/.552 pace with a homer, two doubles and a triple in 34 spring plate appearances. After that strong audition, however, he’s just 1-for-16 with six strikeouts through his first 16 trips to the plate with the A’s.
On the Major League injured list
- Jose Soriano, RHP, Pirates (via Angels): It wasn’t a surprise to see Soriano open the year on the injured list. He’s still recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in Feb. 2020 and didn’t pitch in a game with the Pirates this spring. He’ll be sidelined for at least the first two months, as the Bucs put him on the 60-day IL to open a 40-man roster spot when they signed Tyler Anderson. Soriano hasn’t pitched above A-ball, but the Pirates aren’t exactly a win-now club, so they can afford to stash him as a seldom-used bullpen piece in order to secure his rights beyond the 2021 season.
- Mac Sceroler, RHP, Orioles (via Reds): Sceroler fanned six hitters in 3 2/3 innings early in the season but also yielded three runs on five hits (two homers), three walks and a hit batter. The Orioles recently placed him on the 10-day injured list due to tendinitis in his right shoulder, although it’s not expected to be too lengthy an absence.
- Dedniel Nunez, RHP, Giants (via Mets): Nunez was hit hard in the Cactus League, surrendering four runs in 3 1/3 innings. He’ll now miss the entire 2021 season after sustaining a UCL tear that required Tommy John surgery this spring. Nunez will spend the season on San Francisco’s 60-day injured list and receive a year of MLB service, but he’ll still be subject to Rule 5 restrictions in 2022 once he’s healthy. He’ll need to spend at least 90 days on the MLB roster before he can be sent to the minors; if he doesn’t last that long, he’ll have to pass through waivers and, if he clears, be offered back to the Mets.
Returned to their original club
- Jose Alberto Rivera, RHP, Angels (via Astros): The Angels didn’t take much of a look at Rivera, returning him to Houston on March 24 after just one inning of official work in Cactus League play.
- Kyle Holder, SS, Reds (via Yankees): The Reds weren’t sure who their shortstop was going to be heading into Spring Training, but they ultimately settled on moving Eugenio Suarez back to that spot, sliding Mike Moustakas back to third base and giving prospect Jonathan India the nod at second base. A strong spring from Holder might have at least given him a bench spot behind that trio, but he hit just .219/.359/.250 in 39 plate appearances. The Reds returned him to the Yankees on March 30.
- Gray Fenter, RHP, Cubs (via Orioles): The Cubs returned Fenter to the Orioles on March 12 after just one spring appearance. He hasn’t pitched above A-ball yet.
- Dany Jimenez, RHP, Athletics (via Blue Jays): The 27-year-old Jimenez was a Rule 5 pick in consecutive offseasons — once by each Bay Area club. The A’s returned him to the Jays on March 15, however, after he yielded four runs (two earned) in three innings of work this spring.
Whitlock has been amazing!
It’s been painful to watch Whit since March. Kriske and Abreau really need to contribute this year in order to not make the Yanks look foolish on this one. What’s worse is that Whit’s upside is as a SP and was progressing nicely in that role prior to TJS.
Maybe.
There’s also the fact that the Yanks *preferred* Abreu (his stuff is so tantalizing…but that “control”, man) & Kriske. Now, I don’t care for the “appeal to authority” argument but that is telling.
Makes me hope – indeed – that Abreu & Kriske will contribute. Loaisiga looks like he’s starting to become the relief force fangraphs pegged him for. A whole lot of Yankee fans were calling for him to be bounced over the winter.
Let’s see how Whitlock holds up over a full season. It’s a good spring & 6 innings &…that’s it, uh?
I have the patience of a hunter, though.
Which is helpful when watching young pitchers navigate the bigs.
Yankees pitching is fine. Starters need to go a little longer, bullpen is great with help on the way in Britton.
The hitting is horrible and unlikable. Home run or bust (usually by K) was never a winning strategy as power hitting teams get shut down by power pitching teams time and time again. I miss hits, hit and run, 1st to 3rd, bunting (great bunt earlier by Tauchman !), SB, and tightening up and making contact with 2 strikes, not just swing swing swing away and walk to the dugout like that’s a good thing. What about advancing the runner ?
“Yankee pitching if fine”, “bullpen is great”.
Red Sox will have another Whitlock please.
The irony here is for a big market club to carry a rule 5 player all year. Boston did it last year but that was a short season. NY chose who they preferred to keep and likely expected this loss. No one though anticipated Bloom being the GM to grab him. Big kudos to Bloom considering this blog has so many detractors.
Good point(s), @Dewey.
More on being patient.
Gotta give Bloom some time to work through everything. red sox fans – like my fellow Yankee fans – are not the most patient lot.
Ducky –
NYY and RS fans “are not the most patient lot.”
You are being way to nice to both sets of fans….
Hey…sometimes Good Ducky shows up on a thread.
He’s much kinder & gentler than Nutty Ducky.
Totally agree on the patience part. Sox fans should be happy with the trophies won since 2004. Imagine thinking about the turnaround the way 2093 and 2004 ended.
I don’t live in Boston (grew up in CT and now live on LI). Growing up with mostly Yankee fans, I saw the arrogance of Yankee fans in the late 70s. My age fans just missed the glory days end in the mid 69s so my Yankee fan friends and cousins somehow forgot about going through the Horace Clarke years (sorry Horace).
I said to myself then I would not be arrogant when the Sox won. Unfortunately many Sox fans are also other Boston fans and the local success overall has created many spoiled fans in New England. Have fun but try to remember it can’t last and payback is a b#@ch.
Sitting on a pontoon boat or kayak in the cold rain scanning the horizon for ducks or geese will teach a fella some patience.
Or, said fella will move on to a differing form of hobby.
What? 2004 is The Year That Never Happened, bro. So. No idea what you are referring to.
My grandfather regularly called Horace Clarke…mmmm, less than noble names. I am too young for all of that. He was taking me to The Stadium since before I can remember. But – really – the Steinbrenner’s are pretty much the only owners I have ever associated with the Yanks.
Yankee fan arrogance has changed (largely since The Year That Never Happened). It’s now much more fear based to me as opposed to a belief that God himself is a Yankee fan. Trust me. I still plan on using that for my closing argument at the pearly gates.
Ya know; “look. Peter. I hear what you’re saying, sir. But call upstairs. Tell him I am a Yankee fan too.”
Hey. I’ll be straight up on this. red sox fans have every right to spike the ball. & just watch how Yankee fans act after we win the World Series this year. Some of them are bound to be pretty ugly.
I was young but recall when George bought the club from CBS for $12m, the talk then was why. Look at that investment now. The Yankees changed when they made two trades with Cleveland and brought in Nettles and Chambliss. I hated Nettles for the Lee fight but defensively he in my view was as good as any third baseman I ever saw. Chambliss? He was just Mr. Consistently. A club was never going to win if he was their best player but on a team with superstars, he was the top who would get the big hit. Ask KC Royal fans.
Man. Chambliss.
I was at The Stadium with my grandfather when he took Littel yard.
Now.
If that won’t make you a lifelong Yankee fan…well, nothing will.
& Nettles was so good with the glove. Mercy.
That whole infield was fantastic defensively.
My grandfather was a season ticket holder for the Yanks & Jints. As such, I actually met Mr Steinbrenner a couple times.
He was great. Asked me who my favorite players were & why. Looked me in the eye the whole time.
Say what you want about him (many things would be right) but he was intense & really *wanted* to win. Good heavens. He would put 70-80%(!) of revenue back into payroll. I doubt we ever see anything like that in any sport again.
Would love to have a poll on the best defensive 3bsmn. in my lifetime, I put the top six not in order: Robinson, Nettles, Rodriguez (a forgotten defender), Rolen, Chapman and Arenado
For those too young to remember, it’s Aurelio Rodriguez that was referenced above, not the cheating but very wealthy more recent Rodriguez.
Indeed
Looks like the yanks officially lost Whitlock. Would still like to see Stephan come back, but it’s always a double edged sword with rule 5 guys. You want them back, but you only get them back because they failed to perform.
Can’t really say neither performed. Both only had 2 1/2 seasons of MiLB ball and nothing poor about the numbers Whitlock put up and Stephan’s were not questionable, except for 2019. More like what it was.. Roster crunch by NY and exceptionable scouting.. 2019 and prior by both Boston and the Indians to find something missed and who could be possibly available.
How was de Gaus drafted if he only had two years in the minors, 3 total with the lost 2020 minor league season? Thought teams held control for like 4-6 years depending on their age when drafted. Goo Angels!
drafted in 2017, just didnt play until 2018
Perfect, thank you.
Players signed at age 18 or younger need to be added to their club’s 40-Man roster within five seasons or they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Players who signed at age 19 or older need to be protected within four seasons.
Makes sense why so many low level minor league prospects and even non prospects got the call with the lost covid season. This de Gaus kid is interesting because of his two lost seasons. The Dodgers 40 is full I get it, but Makes me wonder if he would of got a call last year if not on their way to a WS. Maybe they were hoping to sneak him by
Ka’ai Tom has also pitched a scoreless inning for the Athletics.
With Seth Brown coming around (it rhymes) Tom may not be with the A’s for much longer. Even with Pinder out Brown provides flexibility at 1B/Corner OF. Which makes the Mitch Moreland at DH plan seem rather odd to begin with.
I think Tom sticks around despite not hitting so far. Pinder injured and probably out for awhile, already lost depth in skye bolt to giants and Fowler to pirates. Laureano is prone to injuries, so after canha, Tom is the only other capable CF replacement on current roster. Also buddy reed is injured and really struggled in spring after a hot start
Yeah Ka’ai Tom is a depth piece and they’ll try and get him enough at bats to at least try to keep him ticking over. Same approach with Kemp (snuck into left field last night) and Machin. Largely they’re as an insurance policy for Jed Lowrie* & Elvis.
Brutally I think Ka’ai Tom is AAAA which must to be so incredibly frustrating as a player. I really hope I’m wrong because as others have pointed out, it’s mighty thin right now in the outfield wilderness. Wonder whether Laureano gets injured because he tries so darned hard.
Happy lunchtimes.
Peter in London
I sometimes wonder where Norman is now. Probably wintering with his mother in Guildford. A cat, and rain, Vim under the sink, and both bars on. But old now, old. There can be no true beauty without decay.
* Awooga. Off topic alert re Jed Lowrie…..
Does anyone know if he’s got a grievance outstanding against the Mets? Seemingly forced NOT to get surgery. The moment he can, he does it privately and looks absolutely back to normal. Begs the question whether the Mets had Lowrie’s contract insured….
I think Oviedo will stick with the Pirates long term. He got hammered last time he was out, but he struck out 5 of his first 10 batters he faced without allowing a walk. He works in the 95-97 MPH range and has touched 99 MPH once or twice already. He also has a pretty decent breaking ball. He’s looked pretty good for a guy who hasn’t pitched above A-Ball before 2021.
Plus I doubt the Pirates give up on him easily. He wasn’t picked by the Pirates in the R5 draft, rather traded for. The Pirates wanted him for a reason and I think he has really high upside. He could be a potential 8th/9th inning arm by the end of the season for the Bucs, imo.
Oviedo was selected in the R5 draft and taken from Cleveland. I have no idea what these “trade” speculations are. If the Pirates don’t keep him rostered then he must be offered back to Cleveland for $25,000.
I think mlb1225 is just speculating that since they traded for Oveido that they are more likely to have a longer leash with him than if they had only invested the R5 draft fee themselves. The presumption being they gave the Mets more $ than what the fee was.
Exactly. If the Pirates picked him themselves, then that’s one thing. But they traded for him specifically and sent, presumably more money than what the return fee was. He’s not some 26-year-old who was stuck at Triple-A either. He’s 21 and hasn’t played above A-Ball. Give him some time to adjust. Not too many players can jump essentially 3 different levels and imediatley hit the ground running in the majors. So far, he’s looked really good. Just needs to get his control down a bit.
Nobody is tanking yet ! 10 games in to season ! Very stupid statement! Who ever wrote that needs to go.
Yeah, that was a head scratcher. They’re playing about as expected and I’d wonder if that line was taken from a local columnist who questioned his insertion into a close game. I mean, with all these young guys and no expectations for a winning season, doesn’t it make sense to use them?
Nah, we’re definitley tanking and I’m okay with it. You don’t keep starting a guy who started out the season with one hit in his first 24 plate appearances and keep starting him semi-regularly and say you’re competiting in 2021.
This.
Oviedo will finish the season in Pittsburgh as long as he’s healthy and avoids arrests for gun running or some such thing. One can gage the organization’s commitment to winning in 2021 by measuring the team’s payroll. The team will have a season long spring training that’s focused on developing players for th future. Right now, Oviedo is a part of that future.
Ditto from me. Oviedo is not going anywhere, H pitched 2 innings with 1 ER given up. He only had one bad outing and Shelton said it was his mistake for putting him in a higher leverage situation so soon.. Sounds like they plan on keeping him and using him so that he can develop. Has only pitched in A ball so,far. Needs the work and they need to keep,him.
Baddoo is a bad dude.
Wrong year in the headline?
Well I guess draft was technically in December
yeah that’s how they term them
Lots of pressure in baseball. Lot of these guys where lights out in spring training yet getting rocked once it counts. Lots of pressure in baseball. Just ask lindor
Haha, many have tried to buy a championship and most fail. Bless the ones that can afford to keep trying.
Sometimes I wonder if the Twins front office is calculating their sabermetrics and algorithms wrong. A couple years ago, they gave up on a homegrown talent in Nick Anderson for some bum that nobody remembers, and (before his injury) Anderson was probably the best reliever in baseball.
Now Baddoo is tearing it up while Sano sucks. They could have moved the pieces around and got his bat into the lineup somehow.
New farm director before the 2020 season? Brings in new coaches and scouts change teams all the time. Who knows.
I’ll take the Twins front office and you can have the Tigers. How’s that sound?
A Rule 5 pickup is outperforming any of their drafts picks. Avila is a joke.
And I’m sure dugdog83 wholeheartedly endorsed Al Avila’s selection of Akil Baddoo in the Rule 5 draft at the time. Good call duggie.
In all seriousness, you have to tip your hat to Avila and the Tigers scouting staff for picking Baddoo. No one saw this coming, not even omniscient dugdog!
Baddoo is a great story and I’m rooting for him but he will eventually fall back to earth.
Tip my hat? Avila’s best move as a GM is picking a player off another teams roster and using him as a rental.
And learn how to use your !’s Elaine.
I’m not going to say Avila has done great job yet, but this is Mize’s first season as a pro (outside a few starts last season) he has a ninth rounder in Skubal also in the bigs, and its only a matter of time before manning is also in the rotation. In a couple years, Riley Greene will most likely be an everyday starter and Tolkenson won’t be far behind. We’ll see how others pan out, but I’d say that’s a good amount of players he’s drafted to the team so far.
If you’re aTwins fan, your comment reks of sour grapes. If you’re a Tiger fan you unwittingly gave props to Avila.
@ Egon – No one had any idea Baddoo was capable of this production in the minors, let alone the big leagues. It would be a great story if he continues to succeed and stay with the Tigers but we’re barely into Week 3 of a 26+ week season, so there’s a lot of time for Baddoo to come back down to earth. Everyone loves an underdog story, so it would be incredible to not only see him remain as an OF starter in Detroit but also get some Rookie of the Year votes too. But a more realistic outcome is that he’ll struggle to maintain a starting role in Detroit and quite possibly be offered back to the Twins come June or July. I’d much prefer to see him follow the underdog path, but history tells us that it’s extremely rare for a Rule 5 player to be a ‘star’ for the acquiring team in his inaugural season. If he plays well enough to stay on the 26-man roster all year, the Tigers will have to consider this a smashing success. Good luck, young man…keep it going! One of the best names in baseball too!
I see no way that Baddoo is offered back to the Minnesota Twins. Even if Baddoo hits a rough spot offensively Detroit has seen enough and should have no trouble keeping him on the roster all year. They can simply keep him as part of the bench and spot start him if he begins to struggle. If Detroit stays to really play well it’s young pitching matures quicker then expected and they remain in the playoff picture all year then maybe then the roster spot becomes to valuable.
The Yankees aren’t getting Whitlock back. He is a Red Sox now his stuff is good enough that it will be easy to keep him on the roster all year if nothing else as a low leverage arm. I don’t really see a scenario where he is offered back to the Yankees. Even if he suffers from a dead arm or gets an injury they just DL him and keep him.
Did you notice how a majority of the picks were from teams’ division rivals? As in mlb, they are the systems most often seen by scouts just by way of scouting your own games. Players getting noticed by one scout is all it takes
The Orioles picked up the decent arms. Their stat lines are not very impressive but serviceable.
Send Pop back to the Os
Badoo could end up being the steal of the offseason.
He will have to be better than Whitlock who clearly throws major league stuff and throws it over the plate..
Baddoo might be an all time steal. who could have thought? the TJS must have have his swing some extra umph.
Look at his accomplishments in low A in 2018 and realize he was 19 most of the year. It’s still surprising he can make the leap basically from low A to MLB like that.
George Bell with the Blue Jays is my pick for best rule 5 all time.
Roberto Clemente is undoubtedly the best, taken from the Dodgers by Pittsburg. A couple others include Johan Santana (Marlins from Houston and immediately traded to MN), and Jose Bautista. But yes, Bell was great!
Roberto Clemente is the best of all time
I had no idea Bell was a Rule 5. Back in the 80s i was a baseball encyclopedia. He had an amazing quick swing just his great years were to short.
LOL
Baddoo was already known to possess a nice blend of power/speed potential, and he looks like he could have been an ideal player to develop as CF protection for the oft-injured Buxton. The 2 years of inactivity and uncertainty likely played a part in the Twins’ willingness to leave him unprotected, but I also think with so many lefty swinging OFs about ready for the majors, the Twins chose Celestino over Baddoo for development. Hindsight always suggests alternative decisions, but I do wish the Twins would have considered holding him instead of speculating on a couple of the borderline pitchers they snapped up to clog the roster spaces. I’m guessing former Twins skipper Gardenhire may have shared a positive report on Baddoo prior to his departure from Detroit..at least MN would have had more flexibility in trading an OF prospect down the line from their stockpile.
Given that, I am very happy Baddoo has an opportunity to play in the majors. I hope he has a good career and plays with passion and enjoyment.
I hope he hits a homerun every time he plays the Twins to remind them of what they left unprotected.
…for a young man that had not played in 2 years it’s hard to monday morning quarterback the decision the Twins made to leave him unprotected.
If the Marlins are competing, unless Campbell and Pop start being effective, I don’t see them finishing the season with the Marlins…especially with the current concerns building with that bullpen not holding leads (as noted in the 3-run HR Pop gave up today). Marlins also have too many young arms to block them with two Rule-5 picks that aren’t key contributors to the team.
My nephew was drafted before Whitlock and now he has to have his second TJ. He’s got two whole innings of professional ball under his belt. Good for Whitlock to be in the Red Sox bullpen and maybe help turn it around this year. If they just keep him in situations where he can succeed, then maybe he becomes a useful part of the team going forward. If they mess around with him and try to see if he can start for them, not so smart. He’s a work in progress.
Imagine if Baddoo were a yankee… mlbtr would be drooling to write an thread about him.
Oh well, Clint frazier. .
Of course they would, it’s the largest fan base out there. Good business.
I think he’s getting talked about quite a bit. Of course they’d talk more about him if he was on a contender but he’s still the best story in baseball so far.
LOL
The Orioles have another option with Shawn Armstrong….waivers and potential release. I can’t see him blocking anyone.
No thread about moving the mound back 1 foot to decrease strike outs?
Come on mlbtrs. You are slipping.
We posted one when it was announced on Wednesday. It’s still the second story in our “Top Stories” sidebar on the desktop site and in the “Top Stories” section of the app.
need electronic strike zone
Baddoo’s a nice story and I wish him well but I’m more than a bit skeptical he’s going to sustain this for much longer. 27% k rate and 3 % walk% with nearly a .600 iso. I doubt he’s figured it out after a two year layoff.
Wait, you dont think hes a .370 hitter?
The strikeouts and walks are odd. In spring training, it was the other way around. He had a great OB% due to many walks.
One thing I’ve noticed is he checks his swing, but goes too far quite often.
It would be great if MLB had a Rule 5 Player of the Year award…Whitlock vs. Baddoo could be a great race! Then again, there are some years where no Rule 5 players stay with their acquiring team so it would have to be an ‘as needed’ award.
I do feel bad for some of these Rule 5 guys who ‘make it’ thru their first year, but get sent down the following season(s) because they only need to be on the 40 man roster and don’t need to stay on the 26 man roster after year 1. It becomes such a tease for them. At least they get 1year of league minimum salary (around $580K) and their service clock starts so that is good, but most of the young Rule 5 guys end up back in the minors the following season. Would love to see both Whitlock & Baddoo buck the trend and not only stay with their team this year, but become an important piece of the team in 2022 and beyond!
Why feel sorry for them? The substantial majority of these picks would not have much chance at a MLB roster otherwise. Also, there are many cases of younger “potential” players sitting on the end of the bench or buried in the bullpen all season and preventing other more deserving players from having an opportunity. Every opportunity and entitlement you want to give an individual player usually comes at a cost of opportunity for another.
I played baseball with a guy who made it to AAA in the Reds system as a shortstop / outfielder. The Reds had Larkin, O’Neill, Davis and Daniels at the time, so they held onto him just in case of injury. He asked to be let go and when they wouldn’t do it, he retired. Strongest arm I’ve ever seen and he hit rockets. But he had a wife and kids to take care of so he moved on from pro ball.
Didn’t the White Sox acquire the Yerminator via Rule 5? Didn’t see him on the list but the list appears to be only recent selections.
He was acquired in the minor league phase a few years ago
Baddoo reminds me of another lefthanded hitter who seemed to barrel up a lot of balls even when fooled. Mike Easler.
I’m sure Baddoo will level off, but it’d be nice to see him perform at league average or above in 2021. Tigers need to be competitive so their younger players can continue to improve.
They showed a comparison of Baddoo to Barry Bonds. Very similar.
I feel like Doctor Seuss could have written a book about Baddoo. Like he did when HOF Nellie starred for the pale hose.
Nobody is tanking yet ! 10 games in to season ! Very stupid statement! Who ever wrote that needs to go.
that dreaded phase, obviously won’t sustain
So here’s hoping that the author is correct and Miami will return Pop to the O’s. I was surprised to see him unprotected and sad to see him selected. Sceroler is a nice story, being Ben McDonald’s nephew and all, but he’s a stuff guy and is going to have to work harder than most to be successful. That could make it harder for him to stick all year. Of course, the O’s organization doesn’t really care about wins and losses all that much in 2021 so it might not matter whether he’s good or not this year as long as he can give them 70 innings out of the bullpen.
Great article, thanks for doing this.