(Ed. Note: Click here for Winston’s coverage of the minor league phase of the 2016 MLB Rule 5 Draft)
The Rule 5 Draft is traditionally the last official event of the annual Baseball Winter Meetings. Half of the front office executives in the ballroom are holding their winter coat over their arm and have their airplane boarding pass in their pocket. But while it’s a fare-thee-well for the several hundred people who congregate for that hour-plus – from farm directors and scouting directors to a smattering of press to less-involved but equally-interested attendees (minor league club personnel, fans and trade show folks glad to get off their feet for a few minutes), it’s also an often-welcome “hello” for the few dozen minor league players who will be wearing new uniforms and colors and logos in 2017 – well, at least for a few weeks.
This year, despite the doubled price hike to make a selection in the major league phase of the Rule 5 (NOT V!!!) Draft from $50,000 per player (getting $25,000 back if the player is returned to his original team) to $100,000 per player ($50,000 back if returned), 18 players were chosen in the “main event”—16 in the first round and another two in the second. Ed Note: You can check the very end of this article for a quick primer on the Rule 5 Draft rules.
As is often the case in the Rule 5 Draft, some pre-event wheeling and dealing went on, with the result being the Minnesota Twins, who owned the first pick (no) thanks to having the worst record in the majors this year, pulling off a three-way trade with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (announced after the end of the draft). The club utilized the top pick to select Milwaukee Brewers right-handed pitching prospect Miguel Diaz, whom they then flipped to the Padres for what is expected to be cash considerations.
With the Cincinnati Reds ALSO dealing their pick (second overall) to the Padres and, then, the Padres already owning the third pick in the draft, the result was that, for the first time in recent memory (and quite possibly ever), one club had the first three picks in the Rule 5 Draft.
But let’s move on now to the 18 players selected yesterday. The geographically-minded will quickly see that the first five players chosen in the major league phase of the draft hail from five different Latin American countries: In draft order, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama, Nicaragua and Cuba.
Major League Baseball Rule 5 Draft – Major League Phase
Round 1
1. Twins
Miguel Diaz, RHP, Brewers
Ht/Wt: 6’1”/175 B/T: R/R Age: 22y, 0m
Player Stats
(Ed Note: Diaz was subsequently traded by the Twins to the Padres in exchange for RHP Justin Haley later in the day.)
Diaz is the kind of prospect that could factor into a transitional club’s plans for the long term: Young, and with an impressive combination of both good stuff AND improving control (just 2.8 walks-per-nine innings in his full-season debut). What he doesn’t have yet is experience at the advanced levels, though he’ll certainly get at least a taste of that this spring. Originally signed by the Brewers in December of 2011 out of his native Dominican Republic, he spent 2012 and 2013 pitching in the Dominican Summer League before coming stateside to throw in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2014 and 2015. This past summer was his first taste of full-season ball, as he posted a 3.71 ERA at Class A Wisconsin (Midwest League), striking out 91 batters in 94 2/3 innings. He boasts a fastball in the low-to-mid 90s along with a slider, and has posted a career 3.51 ERA and .233 BAA, but was left unprotected in hopes that no one would take a chance on a kid who had undergone elbow surgery a year ago and had yet to throw a pitch above Class A. Look for him to see time in the Padres’ bullpen as his best chance to stick for now, but he still projects as a starting pitcher down the road.
2. Reds
Luis Torrens, C, Yankees
Ht/Wt: 6’0”/175 B/T: R/R Age: 20y, 7m
Player Stats
(Ed Note: Torrens was traded by the Reds to the Padres for a PTBNL or cash considerations later in the day.)
Signed out of Venezuela as an international free agent on July 2, 2012 by the Yankees, Torrens brings with him a career .250 batting average in 162 games – a full season, in a sense. A fine all-around catcher with a strong arm and good defense when 100% healthy, Torrens missed all of 2015 after suffering a torn labrum, and that showed in his 2016 numbers, which dipped to a .230 average and just two homers in 40 games with the Class A Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs last summer. Given how high his potential was pre-injury (he had ranked among the Yankees’ Top 10 prospects), and the fact that he’s only 20 years old, there’s a chance he could stick as a third catcher with the Padres for a season before they send him back to the minors to finish his development.
3. Padres
Allen Cordoba, SS, Cardinals
Ht/Wt: 6’1”/175 B/T: R/R Age: 21y, 0m
Player Stats
Cordoba turned 21 just two days before the Rule 5 Draft, so his selection really reflects the Padres’ intriguing decision to go after three really talented, high-upside-but-still-raw prospects with those acquired from these first three picks. The native of Changuinola, Panama has yet to play a single game in a full-season league but he has wowed the crowd in short-season action. After earning Gulf Coast League MVP honors in 2015 when he won the batting title – hitting .342 for the GCL Cards – he moved up to the Rookie-level Appalachian League (in a sense the same level but considered “up” within the Cardinals’ system) where he hit .362 with 22 stolen bases in 2016. In four minor league seasons, Cordoba has combined for a .309 average, plus he has the tools on defense. It’s tougher to stow away an unproven youngster on a major league roster in the middle infield rather than in a bullpen or as a third catcher, but the risk might prove to have big rewards down the road given Cordoba’s potential.
4. Rays
Kevin Gadea, RHP, Mariners
Ht/Wt: 6’5”/188 B/T: R/R Age: 22y, 0m
Player Stats
The draft continued to boast its Latin American flair as the Rays selected Gadea, a 6-foot-5 right-hander out of Esteli, Nicaragua. Originally signed on November 21, 2012, he’s posted a 17-6 record with a 2.64 ERA in four pro seasons, limiting opposing hitters to a .237 BAA. This past season, he went 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA in two stops between the Arizona League and Class A Clinton (Midwest League), fanning 95 batters while walking just 14 over 68 2/3 innings. Throwing a solid fastball and a changeup with potential, the Rays would like to give him a shot to stick in the bullpen this year with the possibility of his developing as a starter down the line. A converted third baseman, he’s shown aptitude for the mound.
5. Braves
Armando Rivero, RHP, Cubs
Ht/Wt: 6’4”/190 B/T: R/R Age: 28y, 10m
Player Stats
The Braves’ selection of the 28-year-old, right-handed reliever from Havana, Cuba, made it five in a row for international signees getting scooped up in this draft. Signed in March of 2013, Rivero has since combined for a 12-7 record and 2.70 ERA in 160 games in the minors, striking out 303 batters in 220 innings while limiting opposing hitters to a .199 BAA. A two-time mid-season All-Star in four seasons (2014 in the Southern League and 2016 in the Pacific Coast League), he posted a 2.13 ERA with 105 strikeouts versus 35 walks in 67 2/3 innings at Triple-A Iowa this past summer to lead all minor league pitchers (with 65 or more innings) with his 14-strikeouts-per-nine-innings rate. The Braves were intrigued enough to make an active roster move right before the Rule 5 Draft began, releasing right-hander Williams Perez specifically to clear a spot for Rivero. When spring training begins, he will be given every chance to prove why it was the right move.
6. Diamondbacks
Tyler Jones, RHP, Yankees
Ht/Wt: 6’4”/240 B/T: R/R Age: 27y, 4m
Player Stats
The Diamondbacks become Jones’ fourth organization and have high hopes for the 27-year-old, who boasts a power arm with a good fastball and power curve. Originally drafted by Minnesota in the 11th round of the 2011 MLB Draft out of Louisiana State, Jones has combined to go 19-17 with a 3.55 ERA over six pro seasons, including earning mid-season Southern League All-Star honors in 2015 with the Braves organization when he fanned 49 batters in 44 innings while walking just 18, and his very impressive 2016 season with Double-A Trenton where he went 6-2 with a 2.17 ERA and 11 saves over 33 games.
7. Brewers
Caleb Smith, LHP, Yankees
Ht/Wt: 6’2”/205 B/T: R/L Age: 25y, 5m
Player Stats
(Ed Note: Smith was subsequently traded by the Brewers to the Cubs later in the day.)
The Yankees’ minor league pitching ranks took its second quick hit (of what would be three in this phase) when the Brewers used their pick to nab the southpaw out of Sam Houston State University, and then promptly deal him to the Chicago Cubs for the ever-popular “cash considerations.” Originally a 14th-round pick in 2013, Smith has gone 24-23 with a 3.40 career ERA in 139 innings, seeing time as both a starter and reliever, while limiting hitters to a .236 BAA and generally keeping the ball in the ballpark (18 homers in four seasons). He’s made it as high (albeit briefly) as Triple-A, where he appeared in one game at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
8. Angels
Justin Haley, RHP, Red Sox
Ht/Wt: 6’5”/230 B/T: R/R Age: 25y, 6m
Player Stats | 2080 Video
(Ed. Note: Haley was subsequently traded by the Angels to the Padres, and then traded by the Padres to the Twins for RHP Miguel Diaz later in the day.)
Listed at No. 8 on the draft scorecard, he was still No. 1 in the Twins’ hearts. As mentioned above, they worked out a pre-draft, three-way deal where they swapped the rights to their first pick but wangled a way to nab Haley, on whom they had set their sights. A sixth-round pick out of Fresno State in 2012 by the Red Sox, the big right-hander was one of the more experienced hurlers taken in the draft, having spent 2016 between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, where he combined for a 13-10 record and 3.01 ERA and fanned 126 in 146 2/3 innings while walking 45 last summer. Throwing a fastball in the low 90s, a changeup and a curve, combined with a funky setup, he was viewed as one of the most “ready for my big league close-up, Mr. DeMille” players taken on Thursday.
9. White Sox
Dylan Covey, RHP, A’s
Ht/Wt: 6’2”/195 B/T: R/R Age: 25y, 3m
Player Stats | 2080 Report | 2080 Video
We could tell you all sorts of cool things about Covey’s career, stats, etc., but why do that when we can go one better and link you directly to Melissa Lockard’s great deep-dive into Covey’s situation? And when you are done there, how about a scouting report on Covey from Dave DeFreitas, and some AFL video from Alec Dopp? Both available at the links above. You’re welcome.
10. Pirates
Tyler Webb, LHP, Yankees
Ht/Wt: 6’6”/225 B/T: R/L Age: 26y, 5m
Player Stats
The third pitcher nabbed out of the Yankees’ farm system, Webb hails from Nassawadox, Virginia (which was just worth sharing because … well … it’s a cool name for a town, a name derived from the Native American expression for “the land between two waters”) and was drafted in the 10th round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Yankees out of South Carolina. He fits the bill for teams in need of that valuable niche guy, the left-handed relief specialist, with a fastball in the low 90s, a changeup and a slider who is especially tough on same-sided bats. He’s gone 12-13 with a 3.48 ERA over five seasons, highlighted by a consistently strong showing the last two summers at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
11. Tigers
Daniel Stumpf, LHP, Royals
Ht/Wt: 6’2”/200 B/T: L/L Age: 25y, 11m
Player Stats
One of two players taken in the major league phase of this draft with actual major league service time under his belt (see veteran Josh Rutledge below for the other one), Stumpf stands out as the lone Rule 5 pick this year to have made his big league debut this summer, since he was – wait for it – taken in the Rule 5 Draft LAST year as well. The quick travelogue for the left-hander goes like this: Drafted by Kansas City in the ninth round of 2012 out of San Jacinto College North Campus; selected with the 12th pick in the 2015 Rule 5 Draft by the Phillies; made major league debut with the Phillies on April 7, 2015; suspended by MLB for 80 games on April 14 “following a positive test for an anabolic steroid;” reinstated with the Phillies in July for four games before being returned to the Royals; finished out the season at Double-A Northwest Arkansas (Texas League); left unprotected by the Royals in the offseason; selected with the 11th pick in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft by Detroit. In 139 games in the minors, Stumpf has posted a 3.22 ERA and limited opposing hitters to a pretty measly .225 BAA thanks to a combo of fastball in the low 90s, changeup and slider. He rebounded from the rocky start to 2015 by settling in quite nicely in the Northwest Arkansas bullpen with a 2.11 ERA in 21 1/3 innings, fanning 26 while allowing just 14 hits.
12. Orioles
Aneury Tavarez, RF, Red Sox
Ht/Wt: 5’9”/175 B/T: L/R Age: 24y, 7m
Player Stats | 2080 Video
The Orioles picked up two of the most intriguing position players in the Rule 5 Draft when they chose Tavarez and outfielder Anthony Santander (see below), giving them a few more very intriguing options to bring to spring training. In fact, both picks immediately forced MLB.com to update its Orioles Top 30 Prospect lists to make room for the duo, with Tavarez showing up at No. 30 and Santander at No. 15. Tavarez, who originally signed with the Red Sox in May 2011 as a second baseman, can play all three outfield positions and comes off of a 2016 season where he batted .335 and earned Eastern League All-Star honors at Double-A Portland before a promotion to Triple-A Pawtucket. In that time, he posted a five-hit game on June 18 and went 4-for-4 reaching base six times on August 10. He also stole 20 bases and has posted a career .270 average over six pro seasons. Slightly undersized for the outfield, he makes up for a lack of power with the knack to deliver extra-base hits – including 13 triples in 2016).
13. Blue Jays
Glenn Sparkman, RHP, Royals
Ht/Wt: 6’2”/210 B/T: S/R Age: 24y, 5m
Player Stats
The Blue Jays hope that Sparkman will prove to be a lucky 13 for them and return to the form he flashed prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery last season. In his brief comeback so far from that operation, his ERA was 5.22 in 16 starts. But he’s been clocked in the middle 90s with his fastball which he complements with a changeup and breaking ball. A 20th-round pick in 2013 by the Royals out of Wharton County Junior College, he was the organization’s Pitcher of the Year in 2014 when he went 8-3 with a 1.56 ERA at High A Wilmington (Carolina League), striking out 117 while walking 25 in 121 innings. In his career, he’s combined for a 13-12 record and 2.68 ERA, limiting opposing hitters to a .233 BAA. Though a starter throughout his minor league career, the Jays hope he can stick with the club in the bullpen.
14. Red Sox
Josh Rutledge, INF, Rockies
Ht/Wt: 6’1”/190 B/T: R/R Age: 27y, 7m
Player Stats
One of the rare true major league veterans who may very well find new life with a new/old organization, Rutledge returns to the Red Sox just weeks after signing as a minor league free agent with the Rockies. And if that sounds familiar, it may be because he began his career back in 2010 as a third-round pick by Colorado out of the University of Alabama, made his big league debut two years later, spent parts of 2012, 2013 and 2014 with the Rockies and then parts of 2015 and 2016 with the Red Sox. As long as the name starts with an ‘R’, Rutledge can alliteratively wear it. (Okay, so he also spent a few months in the Angels’ farm system in 2015 – maybe we can call them “the Rangels” just for fun.) A versatile addition to the bench who can play second base, third base and shortstop, Rutledge has hit a combined .262 in 333 games in the bigs and .318 in 350 games in the minors in his seven-year pro career. Contract talks with the Sox broke down about a month ago, but they found a way to bring him back into the fold and he could easily factor into that bench mix this year. He has come back from a knee injury which sidelined him for much of 2016.
15. Indians
Hoby Milner, LHP, Phillies
Ht/Wt: 6’2”/165 B/T: L/L Age: 25y, 10m
Player Stats | 2080 Video
The Indians took a flyer on the former seventh-round pick from 2012 in their search for some left-handed relief depth in the bullpen. The University of Texas product has posted a 36-21 record and 3.53 ERA over five pro seasons, and impressed folks both with his numbers (limiting fellow lefties to a .181 BAA between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2016) and his makeup. His reaching the majors would make for a pretty fabulous feel-good story as well, though. His dad, catcher Brian Milner, was also a seventh-round draft pick back in 1978 (by the Toronto Blue Jays). And he made a little bit of history by being drafted out of high school at age 18 and brought immediately to the big leagues – only to be sent back down after three days and – due to injuries – never return. He stayed in baseball in a variety of capacities, including scout and coach, and clearly passed down both talent and a love of the game to his son.
16. Rangers
Mike Hauschild, RHP, Astros
Ht/Wt: 6’3”/210 B/T: R/R Age: 26y, 10m
Player Stats
Drafted in the 33rd round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Astros out of his hometown University of Dayton, Hauschild has posted a 36-32 record and 3.50 ERA over five pro seasons, including earning mid-season Pacific Coast League All-Star honors last summer at Triple-A Fresno, where he was 9-10 with a 3.22 ERA in 24 games. His consistency has kept him on people’s radar and now he may get a shot with this move cross-state.
Round 2
17. Reds
Stuart Turner, C, Twins
Ht/Wt: 6’2”/190 B/T: S/R Age: 22y, 1m
Player Stats
A third-round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft out of Ole Miss, Turner’s calling cards are his outstanding defense and smarts behind the plate. A defensive junior college standout at Louisiana State University at Eunice (his hometown), he transferred to the University of Mississippi for his junior year after earning Academic All-America honors with a 4.0 GPA in 2012. He’s posted a .241 average over 323 games in four pro seasons, the last two spent at Double-A Chattanooga (Southern League), and will absolutely have a shot to stick as a backup catcher for the upside he brings to the table at that position.
18. Orioles
Anthony Santander, OF, Indians
Ht/Wt: 6’1”/220 B/T: R/R Age: 22y, 2m
Player Stats
The second of the Orioles’ two high-upside outfielder picks, the Venezuelan-born switch-hitter dropped to this status because he’s still recuperating from off-season surgery on his right shoulder. Originally signed by the Indians in July 2011, he’s posted a career .271 average in 347 games over five pro seasons, and at 21 years old posted explosive numbers at High A Lynchburg (Carolina League) in 2016, batting .290 with 20 home runs and 95 RBIs prior to his surgery. He’d already recovered from elbow surgery that cost him chunks of 2013 and 2014 but came into ’16 in peak form, ending up among the Carolina League’s top three in home runs, RBIs, runs, hits and doubles. He has raw power, and while his athleticism not surprisingly puts him optimally in the outfield, he can also play first base. Once healthy, Santander is the kind of guy a lot of people may be talking about.
About the Rule 5 Draft
During the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft, players left unprotected may be selected for $100,000. The selection rules provide that a player must remain on the drafting team’s active 25-man roster during the following season, or be offered back to the original club at half the original price if no other club claims the player while on outright assignment waivers. The draft order is based on the standard reverse order of finish during the 2016 season. Any team that does not have any vacancies on its 40-man roster may not make a selection. Players who were signed when they were 19 or older and have played in professional baseball for four years are eligible, as are players who were signed at 18 and have played for five years.
