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Rule 5 draft dumpsite


Marlins2003

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Since I've failed to find a unified list of eligible players (although I expect one to show up somewhere before the draft) I'm just going to dump stuff in here I find regarding other teams' players left unprotected.

 

 

The first one is from a Cubs fansite:

 

http://www.all-baseball.com/cubreporter/archives/024633.html

 

I'll have a Rapada with Cheese, and a Cherry Coke

by Arizona Phil

 

With today being the deadline for moving players from the minor leagues to the 40-man roster, the Cubs announced today that they have added LHP Clay Rapada and RHP Rocky Cherry to their 40-man reserve list.

 

All players still remaining on a Cubs minor league roster will remain "frozen" (cannot be added to the 40-man roster and cannot be traded) until after the conclusion of the Rule 5 Draft, which will be held on December 7th at the MLB Winter Meetings. If any player currently on a Cub minor league roster is to be part of a trade consummated sometime in the next couple of weeks, that player will have to be identified as a"Player to be Named Later" (PTBNL), and cannot be named until the Rule 5 Draft concludes.

 

Although players on minor league rosters are now "frozen," players on major league 40-man rosters are not. Players on MLB 40-man rosters can be traded, and players on MLB 40-man rosters can even be assigned outright to the minors during the "frozen" period. Also, free-agents can be signed to minor league contracts and can be assigned to a minor league club during this period.

 

By adding Rapada and Cherry, the Cubs would seem to now have 42 players on their 40-man roster, which (of course) is not allowed. So the only obvious explanation is that apparently Mark DeRosa and Alfonso Soriano have yet to be officially added to the Cubs roster, because no other roster moves were made today. Some of you may remember the same thing happened last year when Bob Howry was signed as a free-agent, but wasn't officially added to the Cubs 40-man roster for several days. But at least two more roster moves will need to be made in the near future, possibly by means of a a two-fer-one or three-fer-one trade for a starting pitcher.

 

A lanky side-armin' slinger who is death on left-handed hitters, the 25-year old Rapada was THE best reliever I saw in the Arizona Fall League this year. I believe he can pitch in the big leagues right now. Signed out of Virginia State University by Cubs "bird dog" scout Billy Swoope in 2002, Rapada is notable for being a one-time "Non-drafted Free-Agent" (NDFA) who made good.

 

Cherry, 27, was drafted by the Cubs out of the University of Oklahoma in the 14th round of the 2002 Rule 4 Draft (June Draft), but didn't sign until January 2003. He made his pro debut at Boise that season. The Rock underwent Tommy John transplannt surgery in 2005, after suffering a torn elbow ligament. A starter earlier in his career, Cherry returned to action this season, working out of the bullpen at AA West Tenn (Cherry and Rapada were an extremely effective 1-2 punch out of the DiamondJaxx pen). Like Rapada, Cherry pitched well-enough to earn a mid-season promotion to AAA Iowa. Showing a mid-90's heater and a devastating breaking ball, Rocky was supposedly about to be called up to the Cubs when he suffered a season-ending finger injury that required surgery.

 

 

Among the notables not added to the Cub 40 at this time include pitchers Carmen Pignatiello, Lincoln Holdzkom, Randy Wells, and Federico Baez, catcher Jake Fox, and third-baseman Casey McGehee. Each will be eligible for selection by the other 29 MLB clubs at the upcoming Rule 5 Draft

 

Jake Fox was Rich Hill's battery-mate at the University of Michigan, and has spent several years in the Cubs farm system. A slugging catcher who has strugggled with his catching mechanics, Fox split the 2006 season between Daytona and West Tenn. Besides his receiving problems, Fox has had difficulty making consistent contact, and has a tendency to chase pitches out of the strike zone. Still, he is the only catcher in the Cubs system with any power. It is unlikely that he will be ready for the big leagues any time soon.

 

LHP Carmen Pignatiello has been pitching in the Cubs organizatioin since 2000, and was eligible to be a six-year minor league free-agent on October 15th. But he opted to re-up and signed a 2007 minor league contract with the Cub instead, probably after getting a "Cubs slot" in the AFL and a likely NRI to Spring Training. However, Piggy was very impressive pitching out of the bullpen for the Mesa Solar Sox this past month, and will be a very good candidate to get selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

 

RHP Lincoln Holdzkom was one of two pitchers acquired from the Marlins at the end of Spring Training in a deal where Todd Wellemeyer was sent to Florida. Rob Dibble Redux, Holdzkom was one of the Marlins top relief prospects a few years ago (he was on the Marlins 40-man roster for about a year), before suffering a torn elbow ligament in 2004 that required Tommy John ligament transplant surgery. Like Pignatiello, Holdzkom pitched for the Mesa Solar Sox in the AFL, and armed with a mid-90's fastball, showed flashes of brilliance offset by spurts of extreme wildness.

 

After getting an NRI to Spring Training with the big club, Casey McGehee spent the 2006 season as the starting 3rd baseman at AAA Iowa. He is one of the most fundamentally sound players in the Cubs organization, and is capable of playing either corner infield position, McGehee has a solid line-drive stroke, and has had an outstanding last few weeks (including a 16-game hitting streak) while playing for Culiacan in the Mexican Pacific League. McGehee could be a useful (and cheap) option for a small-market and/or low revenue club looking for a platoon third-baseman, or a right-handed bat off the bench.

 

Like Carlos Marmol, RHP Randy Wells was a one-time catcher in the Cubs organization who was converted into a pitcher. Wells started the 2006 season at AA West Tenn and pitched very well, earning himself a mid-season promotion to AAA Iowa. Wells seems to fit the profile of a MLB middle-reliever, and might be another pretty good candidate to be selected in next month's Rule 5 Draft.

 

RHP Federico Baez is still another converted position player. A former third-baseman in the Orioles organization, the rubber-armed Baez pitched for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic last March, and has the ability to either start or relieve. As such, Baez might be attractive to a club looking to acquire a versatile (and cheap) pitcher in the Rule 5 Draft.

 

Here are the 50 Cubs players eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft on December 7th:

 

Jason Anderson, RHP (MLFA after 2007)

Thomas Atlee, RHP

Federico Baez, RHP (MLFA after 2007)

Oscar Bernard, RHP (6Y MLFA after 2007)

Ryan Bicondoa, RHP (MLFA after 2007)

Nate Bland, LHP (MLFA after 2007)

Chadd Blasko, RHP

Bobby Brownlie, RHP

Edward Campusano, LHP

Jose Caridad RHP

Gary Cates, Jr, IF-OF (MLFA after 2007)

Robinson Chirinos, 2B (6Y MLFA after 2007)

Matt Craig, 1B-3B

Mike Fontenot, 2B

Jake Fox, C

Alfredo Francisco, RHP

Alberto Garcia, 1B-OF

Cristian Gonzalez, RHP (MLFA after 2007)

Luke Hagerty, LHP

Koyie Hill, C (MLFA after 2007)

Lincoln Holdzkom, RHP (6Y MLFA after 2007)

Micah Hoffpauir, 1B

Jesse Hoorelbeke, 1B (MLFA after 2007)

Ben Howard, RHP (MLFA after 2007)

Fabian Jimenez-Angulo, LHP

Geoff Jones, LHP (MLFA after 2007)

Richard Lewis, 2B (6Y MLFA after 2007)

Albenis Machado, INF (MLFA after 2007)

Casey McGehee, 3B

Adalberto Mendez, RHP

Isaac Pavlik, LHP (MLFA after 2007)

Leonel Perez, RHP

Billy Petrick, RHP

Carmen Pignatiello, LHP (MLFA after 2007)

Jose Pina, RHP

Robert Ransom, RHP

Tony Richie, C

Alan Rick, C

Carlos Rojas, SS (6Y MLFA after 2007)

Issmael Salas, INF (6Y MLFA after 2007)

Joel Santo, RHP

Andy Shipman, RHP

Jason Smith, INF (MLFA after 2007)

Jemel Spearman, INF

Jesus Valdez, OF

Chris Walker, OF

Les Walrond, LHP (MLFA after 2007)

John Webb, RHP (MLFA after 2007)

Randy Wells, RHP

Jesus Yepez, LHP

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I just noticed this on the link given:

http://www.all-baseball.com/cubreporter/archives/024633.html

 

Posted by: Ryan at November 20, 2006 09:18 PM

I'd love to have Chacin at Wrigley. But if we're willing to trade Pie (which I am...he has "bust" written all over him), maybe trade him to Florida for Olsen or Johnson? I'd prefer Olsen. Then again, I'd prefer Willis, but rumor has it that he's not going anywhere.

 

Posted by: Ryan at November 20, 2006 09:19 PM Our left handed bat is probably on its way in the form of Cliff Floyd. Not very excited about his glove, but he can still hit. Expect this deal to be done in the next few days.

 

Florida wants Pie badly, so maybe Hendry can ask for both of them for Felix. I don't think Hendry will go after young starters though. Tim Hudson is available and they probably would take Pie, with Adrew Jones likely gone after this season.

 

What is the meaning of insanity? Cubs Fans

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The following *RED SOX* players will be eligible for the 2006 Rule 5 Draft unless they are added to the 40-Man Roster:

 

Chris Smith, Barry Hertzler, Jose Vaquedano, Justin Sturge, Bryan Corey, Mike Burns

 

Catchers Dusty Brown

 

Infielders Chad Spann, Jeremy West, Ian Bladergroen, Zach Borowiak, Iggy Suarez, Tony Granadillo

 

Outfilders Chris Durbin, Claudio Arias, Chris Turner

 

Note: Rule 5 Eligibility Rules have been edited in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement effective for the 2006 Rule 5 Draft. This list was edited to reflect the new eligibility rules.

 

http://soxprospects.wikispaces.com/2006+Ru...ligible+Players

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I would prefer to have a list of eligibility but at least we can discount these recently added players:

 

Monday Nov. 20 was the deadline for teams to add players to their major league 40-man rosters to avoid exposing them to December's Rule 5 Draft. The Rule 5 guidelines were adjusted in this year's new Collective Bargaining Agreement, giving teams an extra protection year for players. High school players drafted in 2002 and college players drafted in 2003 become eligible for the Rule 5 for the first time this year.

 

The players listed below, alphabetically by team, are those who were added to the 40-man roster in November and are protected from the Rule 5.

 

Arizona Diamondbacks

3B Brian Barden

2B Emilio Bonifacio

SS Alberto Gonzalez

OF Carlos Gonzalez

LHP Evan MacLane

RHP Jailen Peguero

2B Danny Richar

 

Atlanta Braves

OF Gregor Blanco

OF T.J. Bohn

RHP Jonathan Johnson

 

Baltimore Orioles

INF Eider Torres

 

Boston Red Sox

RHP Kyle Jackson

LHP Phil Seibel

 

Chicago Cubs

RHP Rocky Cherry

LHP Clay Rapada

 

Chicago White Sox

RHP Dewon Day

SS Andy Gonzalez

RHP Oneli Perez

LHP Heath Phillips

LHP Carlos Vasquez

 

Cincinnati Reds

OF Chris Dickerson

RHP Calvin Medlock

RHP David Shafer

 

Cleveland Indians

OF Ben Francisco

RHP J.D. Martin

 

Colorado Rockies

RHP Darren Clarke

SS Jon Herrera

RHP Ryan Speier

 

Detroit Tigers

RHP Virgil Vasquez

 

Florida Marlins

LHP Paul Mildren

 

Houston Astros

2B Brooks Conrad

OF Mike Rodriguez

 

Kansas City Royals

LHP Danny Christensen

LHP Neal Musser

RHP Carlos Rosa

 

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

3B Matt Brown

OF Terry Evans

C Bobby Wilson

 

Los Angeles Dodgers

RHP Zach Hammes

RHP Eric Hull

LHP Mike Megrew

 

Milwaukee Brewers

None

 

Minnesota Twins

LHP Ricky Barrett

LHP Alexander Smit

RHP Oswaldo Sosa

OF Denard Span

 

New York Mets

OF Carlos Gomez

 

New York Yankees

RHP Jeff Kennard

OF Bronson Sardinha

LHP Chase Wright

 

Oakland Athletics

RHP Marcus McBeth

 

Philadelphia Phillies

None

 

Pittsburgh Pirates

LHP David Davidson

OF Nyjer Morgan

RHP Romulo Sanchez

 

St. Louis Cardinals

LHP Troy Cate

RHP Dennis Dove

OF Cody Haerther

RHP Blake Hawksworth

 

San Diego Padres

SS Luis Cruz

RHP Leo Rosales

 

San Francisco Giants

RHP Osiris Matos

2B Eugenio Velez

 

Seattle Mariners

SS Michael Garciaparra

OF Bryan Lahair

LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith

OF Mike Wilson

 

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

OF Elijah Dukes

2B Elliot Johnson

RHP Mitch Talbot

 

Texas Rangers

LHP A.J. Murray

RHP Alexi Ogando

 

Toronto Blue Jays

C Robinzon Diaz

 

Washington Nationals

LHP Matt Chico

RHP Jermaine Van Buren

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This article is a year old and is often the case with Baseball Prospectus, they do a great job even if their conclusions end up being wrong. That said, I found this piece really informative about the mechanics of the draft. Hopefully you'll find value as well.

 

-------------

 

If the Winter Meetings are like a turkey dinner, then the Rule 5 draft is the dessert, the hot apple pie. Held on the last day of the Winter Meetings, the Rule 5 draft is very different from June?s Rule 4 draft in terms of both format and strategy.

 

Though not many people attend, the draft is open to the public. Before you enter you can grab a Selection Meeting sheet, which details the draft order and a handy scorecard with which to keep track of the action. Held in a large auditorium, the setup will look familiar to those who have watched their share of NFL and NBA drafts. Thirty tables are lined up, one for each team. Executives not sitting at the team tables watch from the audience along with the media and other interested parties, creating an interesting dynamic of interested observer and very interested observer. This is very different from the Rule 4 draft, which is conducted via a conference call that everyone within earshot can hear and can contribute to.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that the Rule 5 is not limited to the few players who get selected to appear on Major League clubs. There is also a Triple-A and Double-A phase to the draft as well. This is not to say, however, that everything is different. While the Rule 4 draft does take two days simply because of the quantity of players selected, the draft moves very swiftly, one pick fired right after the other. The pace of the Rule 5 draft is similar, if not faster. In fact, 2004's draft didn't take much more than an hour to finish.

 

Though the flurry of activity just before the Draft may lead some to believe that this is all a very last minute thing, teams actually start planning for the Rule 5 Draft months in advance. Much like they do with potential free agents, Major League Baseball distributes a list of players that will qualify to be selected in the Rule 5 draft early in each season. By doing so early, scouts and executives will have the opportunity to spend a little extra time observing the Rule 5 eligible players, regardless of their eventual status on a 40-man roster. When MLB freezes rosters and distributes the Reserve List, a front office will come together with all of its information--scouting reports, recommendations, statistics, etcetera--and decide what the best course of action will be. There are generally three courses of action a club can take with respect to its Rule 5 pick during the Major League phase, but all of them stem from how a team defines its 40-man roster. A 40-man roster consists of your 25 Major League players, and the remaining 15 will be a mixture of replacement level players who can contribute as injuries and other situations arise, and a number of projectable, future Major Leaguers. How clubs define that secondary mix will ultimately determine how a club looks at the Rule 5 draft.

 

One way to go is to do nothing. Some teams do this frequently. For instance, under Brian Cashman, who has been at his current post since 1998, the Yankees have made six Rule 5 selections, but have never made one during the Major League phase. Some teams simply do not work under a model that allows them to carry a player who may not contribute for an entire season.

 

Another strategy a team can take is to select a player for another club. In order for this to happen, a Club has to have first decided that they will not be selecting anyone with their pick. ?Teams generally try to network with one another and feel each other out,? explains Tripp Norton, the Orioles Assistant Director of Minor League Operations. The Orioles made such a transaction in 2004 when they selected Luke Hagerty from the Cubs on behalf of the Florida Marlins. The receiving club agrees to compensate the selecting club for the $50,000 cost of the selection, in addition to a future consideration. Norton further explained that this player will not be a real prospect, and is generally selected from a list provided by the receiving club.

 

The third strategy, of course, is to actually make a selection. In speaking with industry insiders, there are two distinct ways that clubs strategize for their selections. One is to select a guy in the hopes of stashing him on the roster for the season and returning him to the minors the next year in order to build depth any way possible. This is generally employed by teams that don?t expect to compete in the coming season, as they want to get better any way possible and can afford to gamble with the roster spot.

 

The other main strategy is to see who will be a good fit for the upcoming roster. This type of player is generally one with a more limited skill set, but who could be a contributor for that season. The Red Sox employed this strategy in the ?02 draft, trying to fill left-handed reliever and backup outfielder/pinch runner roles, by selecting Javier Lopez, Matthew White, and Adrian Brown in the Major League phase. While Lopez and White did not ultimately stay with the Sox, Brown did remain, filling what is today known better in Boston as "the Dave Roberts role." Brown appeared in 4 ALDS games vs. Oakland in a pinch-hitting and pinch-running capacity. Such players are desirable choices as they will almost always be earning the Major League minimum and allow teams to avoid overpaying for an infrequently used player.

 

Overall, the Rule 5 draft has increased in prominence the past few years. From 1995-2001, an average of 60 players were chosen, but in the three most recent drafts, that average has increased 25%, to just over 79 players. While those inside the game do not attribute this increase to any single reason, it is apparent that teams are at the very least considering it as a legitimate way to build depth in their organization in an efficient and inexpensive fashion. Another interesting byproduct of the Rule 5 draft are the trades that are made in the days leading up to the draft--a recent example would be the Jon Leicester trade--where a player can be traded from one 40-man roster to another for a Player To Be Named Later, simply because rosters are frozen. In essence, a team executing this type of trade is conducting a Rule 5 type transaction, but with more certainty for both clubs--one does not have to worry about other teams picking their player before they get the opportunity, and the other club is not faced with a situation where they will lose a player of value for nothing more than a $50,000 transaction fee.

 

Nevertheless, at least one industry insider believes that the 2005 Draft will be a bit uneventful. One thing that lends credence to that theory is that with the Meetings earlier this year there are other issues on which to focus, such as who was offered salary arbitration. The second reason for this is because, as David Regan points out, there really aren't many attractive choices, as this year's Andy Sisco seems nowhere to be found.

 

Paul Swydan

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=4645

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I would prefer to have a list of eligibility but at least we can discount these recently added players:

 

Monday Nov. 20 was the deadline for teams to add players to their major league 40-man rosters to avoid exposing them to December's Rule 5 Draft. The Rule 5 guidelines were adjusted in this year's new Collective Bargaining Agreement, giving teams an extra protection year for players. High school players drafted in 2002 and college players drafted in 2003 become eligible for the Rule 5 for the first time this year.

 

The players listed below, alphabetically by team, are those who were added to the 40-man roster in November and are protected from the Rule 5.

 

Arizona Diamondbacks

3B Brian Barden

2B Emilio Bonifacio

SS Alberto Gonzalez

OF Carlos Gonzalez

LHP Evan MacLane

RHP Jailen Peguero

2B Danny Richar

 

Atlanta Braves

OF Gregor Blanco

OF T.J. Bohn

RHP Jonathan Johnson

 

Baltimore Orioles

INF Eider Torres

 

Boston Red Sox

RHP Kyle Jackson

LHP Phil Seibel

 

Chicago Cubs

RHP Rocky Cherry

LHP Clay Rapada

 

Chicago White Sox

RHP Dewon Day

SS Andy Gonzalez

RHP Oneli Perez

LHP Heath Phillips

LHP Carlos Vasquez

 

Cincinnati Reds

OF Chris Dickerson

RHP Calvin Medlock

RHP David Shafer

 

Cleveland Indians

OF Ben Francisco

RHP J.D. Martin

 

Colorado Rockies

RHP Darren Clarke

SS Jon Herrera

RHP Ryan Speier

 

Detroit Tigers

RHP Virgil Vasquez

 

Florida Marlins

LHP Paul Mildren

 

Houston Astros

2B Brooks Conrad

OF Mike Rodriguez

 

Kansas City Royals

LHP Danny Christensen

LHP Neal Musser

RHP Carlos Rosa

 

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

3B Matt Brown

OF Terry Evans

C Bobby Wilson

 

Los Angeles Dodgers

RHP Zach Hammes

RHP Eric Hull

LHP Mike Megrew

 

Milwaukee Brewers

None

 

Minnesota Twins

LHP Ricky Barrett

LHP Alexander Smit

RHP Oswaldo Sosa

OF Denard Span

 

New York Mets

OF Carlos Gomez

 

New York Yankees

RHP Jeff Kennard

OF Bronson Sardinha

LHP Chase Wright

 

Oakland Athletics

RHP Marcus McBeth

 

Philadelphia Phillies

None

 

Pittsburgh Pirates

LHP David Davidson

OF Nyjer Morgan

RHP Romulo Sanchez

 

St. Louis Cardinals

LHP Troy Cate

RHP Dennis Dove

OF Cody Haerther

RHP Blake Hawksworth

 

San Diego Padres

SS Luis Cruz

RHP Leo Rosales

 

San Francisco Giants

RHP Osiris Matos

2B Eugenio Velez

 

Seattle Mariners

SS Michael Garciaparra

OF Bryan Lahair

LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith

OF Mike Wilson

 

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

OF Elijah Dukes

2B Elliot Johnson

RHP Mitch Talbot

 

Texas Rangers

LHP A.J. Murray

RHP Alexi Ogando

 

Toronto Blue Jays

C Robinzon Diaz

 

Washington Nationals

LHP Matt Chico

RHP Jermaine Van Buren

 

A lot of these names are on the 40 man roster hint:Mildren

I was almost bugging out when I saw Cody Haerther and Terry Evans names on the list, I thought it was too good to be true! I like Robinson Diaz as a backup catcher! On the other hand we can have Megrew back

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2006 Rule 5 Draft Preview

by Arizona Phil

 

The 2006 Rule 5 Draft meeting will be held this coming Thursday, and (as per usual) it will be the last order of business at the Winter Meetings.

 

Any player on a minor league roster who signed his first contract prior to the 2002 Rule 5 Draft (for players who were 18 or younger on June 5th prior to signing their first contract) or prior to the 2003 Rule 5 Draft (for players who were 19 or older on June 5th prior to signing their first contract) is eligible for selection.

 

The price to select a player off a AAA roster (the so-called "Major League Phase") is $50,000, off a AA roster it's $12,000 (the "AAA Phase"), and off a Class "A" roster, $4,000 (the "AA Phase"). Clubs can only make as many selections in the Major League Phase of the draft as they have spots open on their 40-man roster prior to the draft. (At present, only 20 of the 30 MLB clubs have spots available on their 40-man rosters; the CUBS, ATL, CHW, KC, LAA, LAD, PIT, STL, SEA, and TB are the clubs that don't, so they will not be able to make any selections in the "Major League Phase" of the Rule 5 Draft, although they will be allowed to select players in the AAA and AA phases).

 

A player who is selected off a AAA roster must be kept on the drafting club's 25-man roster for the entire following MLB season. However, if a player spends more than 90 days on the drafting club's DL during the season after selection, the drafting club must keep the player on its 25-man regular season active roster for 60 days at the start of the following season, too. After the player has spent the required time on the drafting club's 25-man regular season active roster, the player can be optioned to the minor leagues by the drafting club in as many subsequent seasons as the player has options left. (For instance, Andy Sisco, who was selected by the Kansas City Royals from the Cubs in the 2004 Rule 5 Draft and who was subsequently kept on the Royals 25-man roster for the entire 2005 season, was optioned to AAA by the Royals for 12 days last season, and can be optioned to the minors again in 2007, 2008, and 2009 if KC feels Sisco needs more time down on the farm).

 

If a drafting club wishes to send a player selected in the Rule 5 Draft to the minors prior to completion of the required time on the 25-man roster, the club must place the player on Outright Waivers (which are irrevocable), and any of the other MLB clubs can claim the player for the $20,000 waivers price. That club would then assume the Rule 5 requirements for that player.

 

If the player is not claimed off Outright Waivers, then the drafting club must offer the player back to the player's original club. If the original club takes the player back, the drafting club gets half of the Rule 5 Draft price back ($25,000), and the player can be placed on the original club's 40-man roster or he can be sent outright to the minor leagues (club option). However, if the player has been outrighted previously in his career, he has the option to be a free-agent immediately, or he can defer the decision until after the season.

 

If the player's original club declines to take the player back, the drafting club must keep the player, and the club can either release him or send him outright to the minors (and again, if the player has been outrighted previously in his career, he has the option to be a free-agent rather than accept the outright assignment.

 

For players selected off a AA roster or off a Class "A" roster, all sales are final. The player can be assigned anywhere in the drafting club's organization, and does not have to be offered back to the player's original team. These players become just another player in the drafting team's organization.

 

50 Cubs minor leaguers will be eligible for selection in this year's Rule 5 Draft. Originally there were more than 60 Cubs minor leaguers eligible, but a recent change in MLB Rule 5 reduced the number of players who will be eligible for selection. (Prior to the change, players on minor league rosters who signed their first contract when they were 18 or younger were eligible for selection at the Rule 5 Draft meeting following their fourth season in the minors, and players who signed their first contract when they were 19 or older were eligible for selection at the Rule 5 Draft meeting following their third season in the minors).

 

Here are the 50 Cubs minor leaguers who will be eligible for selection in this year's Rule 5 Draft:

 

 

CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION IN 2006 RULE 5 DRAFT

Jason Anderson, RHP

Thomas Atlee, RHP

Federico Baez, RHP

Oscar Bernard, RHP

Ryan Bicondoa, RHP

Nate Bland, LHP

Chadd Blasko, RHP

Bobby Brownlie, RHP

Edward Campusano, LHP

Jose Caridad, RHP

Gary Cates, Jr, IF-OF

Robinson Chirinos, 2B

Matt Craig, 1B-3B

Mike Fontenot, 2B

Jake Fox, C

Alfredo Francisco, RHP

Alberto Garcia, 1B-OF

Cristian Gonzalez, RHP

Luke Hagerty, LHP

Koyie Hill, C

Lincoln Holdzkom, RHP

Micah Hoffpauir, 1B

Jesse Hoorelbeke, 1B

Ben Howard, RHP

Fabian Jimenez-Angulo, LHP

Geoff Jones, LHP

Richard Lewis, 2B

Albenis Machado, INF

Casey McGehee, 3B

Adalberto Mendez, RHP

Isaac Pavlik, LHP

Leonel Perez, RHP

Billy Petrick, RHP

Carmen Pignatiello, LHP

Jose Pina, RHP

Robert Ransom, RHP

Tony Richie, C

Alan Rick, C

Carlos Rojas, SS

Issmael Salas, INF

Joel Santo, RHP

Andy Shipman, RHP

Jason Smith, INF

Jemel Spearman, INF

Jesus Valdez, OF

Chris Walker, OF

Les Walrond, LHP

John Webb, RHP

Randy Wells, RHP

Jesus Yepez, LHP

 

Because of the changes in MLB Rule 5, almost all of the players eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this year were eligible last year, but weren't chosen. So don't expect to see a Roberto Clemente, George Bell, or Johan Santana get selected this time around. Some of the players who are eligible could have been claimed off waivers at some point along the way, while others were signed as minor league free-agents and were available to any MLB organization who might have been interested. And then there are the poor souls with cloudy futures who are rehabbing from elbow or shoulder injuries at Fitch Park. However, it's still possible that the Cubs might lose a player or two.

 

CUBS TOP 10 BEST BETS TO ATTRACT ATTENTION AT THE RULE 5 DRAFT MEETING (alphabetical):

 

RHP FEDERICO BAEZ: A rubber-armed converted third-baseman (ex-Orioles) who can start or relieve, Baez pitched for Team Puerto Rico in last Spring's World Baseball Classic, and then split the 2006 season between AA and AAA. Baez could be the type of guy a small-market team in search of a cheap middle-relief option might consider.

 

LHP EDWARD CAMPUSANO: Until he suffered a mid-season elbow injury, Campusano was on the same track as Clay Rapada (who along with RHP Rocky Cherry, was added to the Cubs 40-man roster last month). An All-Star at Peoria and the top closer in the MWL before getting a June double-jump promotion to AA, Campusano (if healthy) could be very attractive as an MLB LOOGY. But the Cubs have done a good job of not releasing any information about Campusano's physical condition, so maybe they have done that to dissuade clubs from selecting him in the Rule 5 Draft. Or maybe they just don't know what's going on.

 

2B MIKE FONTENOT: A former #1 draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles out of LSU (he was Ryan Theriot's DP partner on the Tigers 2000 CWS champion team), Fontenot was one of three players acquired from the Orioles for Sammy Sosa a couple of years ago. Fontenot was on the Cubs 40-man roster in 2005, but was outrighted to AAA after the season after nobody claimed him off waivers. So if no MLB club thought enough of him to claim him off waivers for $20,000 in November 2005, why would any of those same clubs spend $50,000 and endure Rule 5 restrictions for a year to acquire him now? Good question. Fontenot's main problem is that while he is a good hitter and shows good patience at the plate, he has just average speed, is stiff at second-base, and probably should be playing LF (like Frank Catalonotto). But Fontenot does not have the speed or power to play a corner OF slot. He also doesn't have the athleticism or versatilty to be a utility player. So if anybody takes a shot at Fontenot, it probably would have to be with the idea of giving him a chance to be an everyday MLB second-baseman. What MLB club that would be, I don't know. But maybe there is one, somewhere.

 

C JAKE FOX: Rich Hill's battery-mate at the University of Michigan and probably the best "prospect" among the 50 Cubs players exposed in the draft, Fox is a true "project." He has plus-power at the plate, but he also is a first-ball fastball hitter who strikes out way too much. He has a decent arm behind the plate, but has poor receiving skills and catching mechanics. If he improves his receiving, and becomes more selective as a hitter, he could possibly be an MLB #1 catcher. Or at least maybe a platoon-catcher. Eventually. But that could be two, three, maybe even four years from now. And at 24, he's not getting any younger. A more-likely projection for Fox is that he will develop into a back-up C-1B-3B-LF-RF-RHPH who can provide some "pop" off the bench.

 

1B MICAH HOFFPAUIR: After a disappointing 2005 season at AAA where he got a mid-season demotion to AA, Hoffpauir did the exact opposite this past season, starting the year at AA, and then hitting (bashing) his way back up to AAA. Once at Iowa, Micah claimed the starting 1B job from Brandon Sing, but had his season cut-short by a strained oblique in August, probably costing him a chance to get a look in Chicago in September. Even though he missed a month at the end of the season, Hoffpauir still tied Scott Moore for the HR lead (with 22) among all Cubs minor leaguers in 2006 (and Hoffpauir did it in 15 fewer games than Moore), and so the strapping lad from Lamar University could be attractive as a back-up or (even) platoon 1B and LHPH for an MLB club looking for cheap bench help.

 

RHP LINCOLN HOLDZKOM: One of two pitchers acquired from Florida at the end of Spring Training for Todd Wellemeyer, Holdzkom was once a promising relief prospect and was even added to the Marlins 40-man roster at one point (2003), before tearing an elbow ligament in 2004 that required Tommy John surgery. Still trying to find his way back, Linc throws hard cider (mid-90's heater and biting slider), and when he's "on," he can be unhittable... and when he's "off"... he can't hit the side of a barn. On the mound, he sort of resembles ex-Piniella "Nasty Boy" Rob Dibble. If Holdzkom can get his mechanics straightened-out and then replicate it, and find a consistent release point, he could be another Bobby Jenks. If he can't, he could be out of baseball this time next year.

 

3B-1B-C CASEY McGEHEE: After spending all of 2006 at AAA Iowa as the I-Cubs everyday third-baseman, McGehee is having an outstanding go of it right now in the Mexican Pacific League. He could be a back-up 3B-1B-C-RHPH option for a small market team in '07. He has a nice line-drive stroke, he is a patient hitter, he's versatile in the field, and fundamentally sound in all areas.

 

LHP CARMEN PIGNATIELLO: Split 2006 between AA and AAA, and then pitched in the Arizona Fall League. Once just a journeyman starting pitcher, then a fairly useful "swingman," and now a full-time reliever, he was eligible to be a Six-Year Minor League Free-Agent after this past season, but opted to re-sign with the Cubs for 2007, probably after the Cubs guaranteed him a slot in the AFL and an NRI to Spring Training (as happened with Brandon Sing a year ago). Piggy looked just great in the AFL, and guys who do well there usually are the first to get attention in that year's Rule 5 Draft (see Dan Uggla last year).

 

CF CHRIS WALKER: His game is speed, and he is a good base-stealer. And he is a better hitter than Dwaine Bacon. In fact, he has improved a lot as a hitter, and he can bunt, too. But he is also 26 years old and still has not reached AAA, although he has been making steady progress through the Cubs system. Some MLB club desperate for a lead-off hitter who can play CF (Florida or Colorado, maybe?) might pay 50K to take a look at Walker in Spring Training, but he would certainly be a long-shot to make it long-term in the big leagues.

 

RHP RANDY WELLS: Like Carlos Marmol, Wells is a converted catcher who is still learning how to pitch. After starting the year in the rotation at AA West Tenn and pitching "lights out," Wells got promoted to Iowa and struggled. He probably projects as an MLB middle-reliever (although he could be one of those Joe Mays-types who can slot #5 in a rotation), and he probably needs another year of AAA experience, but that might not stop the Colorado Rockies or Washington Nationals of the world from investing $50,000 to take a look at Wells in Spring Training.

 

TOP TEN RULE 5 PICKS SINCE WWII (chronological)

 

1. RHP Elroy Face (by PIT from BRK - 1952)

2. RF Roberto Clemente (by PIT from BRK - 1954)

3. 2B Tony Taylor (by CUBS from SF - 1957)

4. 2B Bobby Knoop (by LAA from MIL - 1963)

5. 3B Darrell Evans (by ATL from OAK - 1968)

6. 2B Manny Trillo (by OAK from PHI - 1969)

7. C Jody Davis (by CUBS from STL - 1980)

8. LF George Bell (by TOR from PHI - 1980)

9. LHP Johan Santana (by FLA from HOU, then immediately traded to MIN - 1999)

10. 2B Dan Uggla (by FLA from AZ - 2005)

Posted on Dec 4, 2006 at 11:00 PM

 

Comments

 

I continue to be disappointed that Piggy wasn't protected, I think he gets picked. The others, no real risk, with the possible exceptions of Campusano and Holdzkom. Relievers are the easiest guys to hide on a roster (Exhibit A, Andy Sisco), but also the easiest guys to replace. I'll be upset for about ten minutes if any of these players are selected, but I'll get over it.

 

Didja see that Renyel Pinto is getting interest at the winter meetings as a potential lefty reliever from several ballclubs? Naw, that trade wasn't bad Jim Hendry. You got a one-year rental of baseball's biggest out machine in exchange for Nolasco and Pinto, brilliant!

Posted by: Eric the Great at December 4, 2006 11:07 PM

 

Great post as always

 

Are the qualifications of the minor league portion the same, and who are some of the key players who can be taken in the minor league phases?

 

I remember Andy Santana was selected last year by San Diego, do you know what ever happened to him?

 

Thanks a lot

Posted by: BT at December 4, 2006 11:19 PM

 

Every time TCR goes down I die a little inside.

Posted by: Ryno at December 4, 2006 11:27 PM

 

I had to find out that Padilla signed with the Rangers from MLB.com! The humanity. TCR, let's never fight again.

Posted by: Paul at December 4, 2006 11:55 PM

 

Johan's claim should be #3.

Posted by: Carlos at December 5, 2006 12:25 AM

 

Steve Phillips just on ESPN said there's RUMORS of a 3-way deal between Cubs, Pirates and Rockies.

 

Hawpe to Pirates

Jacque, Marmol, Maholm to Rockies

Jennings to Cubs

 

speaking of Jones

http://preview.tinyurl.com/ylj5es

 

Rogers throws it out there that Cubs may be looking to deal him because of his riff with the fans last year more than anything.

 

Also Ryne Sandberg will probably manage Peoria next year.

Posted by: Rob G. at December 5, 2006 12:56 AM

 

i just caught the end of steve phillips on ESPN, he mentioned a trade involving maholm, jennings and "chicago", which i assume would be the cubs since the sox aren't looking for pitching....anyone hear the first part of his sentence? stupid shower i took was 10 seconds too long...

Posted by: Green Lantern at December 5, 2006 12:58 AM

 

there it is, that's pretty much what i figured it would be.

 

jennings, another walk monster.....although he only gave up 17 dongs at coors....although maybe that's the humidor talking.

Posted by: Green Lantern at December 5, 2006 01:01 AM

 

That deal makes little to no sense for either the Rockies or the Pirates. It sounds like a Jim Hendry deal, but Steve Phillips is virtually never right on these kinds of things.

Posted by: Andrew at December 5, 2006 01:11 AM

 

I think the deal it's a fair deal for everyone to be honest. I wish the Cubs could get in on Hawpe and kick the Pirates to the curb on this deal.

 

Pirates get a realatively young, middle of the order type hitter with emerging power and great plate discpline (and I believe very good defensively).

 

Rockies score 2 pitchers and their CF (assuming that's where Jones plays)

 

Cubs get one of the pitchers they want.

 

 

Posted by: Rob G. at December 5, 2006 01:29 AM

 

It doesn't need to make sense. Shuffle the players and hopefully every team ends up happier than they were before the swap. Maybe it's a truly random shuffle and Hawpe will land in Chicago.

 

Admin "ZZZZZ" Rothschild will take right care of Jennings' BB's problem.

Posted by: big john stud at December 5, 2006 01:31 AM

 

I think if we get Jennings and Lilly our rotation is as solid as any in the NL and that doesn't include anything we get from Prior. If for some reason Prior is at good again it puts Jennings and Lilly at 3/4 which is a luxury.

 

Zambrano

Jennings

Lilly

Hill

Miller/Prior

Posted by: Dallas Green at December 5, 2006 01:33 AM

 

speaking of Rule 5 draft..

 

http://cubs.scout.com/2/597356.html

 

Wilken says Fontenot would probably be the most coverted Cub.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/askba/262950.html

 

BA speculates Ed Campusano, Fontenot and McGehee will draw interest. They also have a premium article which I'm sure dives into it even more.

 

Also in that article, looks like Cubs will get the 3rd and 31st picks in next year's draft. If I read it correctly, there's no way they can drop any further in the supplemental round.

Posted by: Rob G. at December 5, 2006 01:36 AM

 

coveted not coverted

Posted by: Rob G. at December 5, 2006 01:38 AM

 

Some smarter team will take Fontenot and his ability to get on base and put him to use. The Cubs are busy paying millions per year for multiple, lesser 2B-man each year.

Posted by: big john stud at December 5, 2006 01:39 AM

 

http://preview.tinyurl.com/yczqbk

 

Lilly rumors abound and it seems like an offer has been made in the 4/40 range.

Posted by: Rob G. at December 5, 2006 01:41 AM

 

that previous article also talks about the Giants being interested in Jones and Eric Patterson is starting to take outfield practice for a possible move to CF.

Posted by: Rob G. at December 5, 2006 01:46 AM

 

Phil will have an involuntary bowel release when he sees that.

 

Very good, forward-thinking idea. Wonder where they heard it.

Posted by: big john stud at December 5, 2006 01:49 AM

 

the article seems to say that he could be blocked by Derosa the next 3 years and they just wanted to give him an opportunity to win a job somewhere else if that ends up being the case. I'm not sure it's a flat out disapproval of his 2b defense....at least not yet.

 

Trib/Hendry said something about Lugo leaning towards the Rsox to play SS.

Posted by: Rob G. at December 5, 2006 01:57 AM

 

by the way, is it even necessary to call it a 3-team trade?

 

It's really 2 separate deals...

 

Maholm for Hawpe (Pirates/Rockies)

 

Jones, Marmol for Jennings. (Cubs/Rockies)

 

I guess 3-team deal sounds cooler on ESPN.

 

as mentioned, since Steve Phillips reported it, we know it's not going to happen.

Posted by: Rob G. at December 5, 2006 02:01 AM

 

I like the deal because it moves Jacque for a pitcher and puts us in the market for a CFer.

 

But I guess that means Kenny Lofton right? *shudder*

 

But wait.....it clears up room for Crawford! Yeah, I am going to carry that faint glimmer of hope until it is snuffed out completely.

Posted by: MikeC at December 5, 2006 02:41 AM

 

heard Phil Rogers on a replay of Chicago Tribune Live and he pretty much reiterated what he said in the article about Jacque getting moved. In a rare moment of agreement, I found myself nodding when he said that he found it weird the Cubs were looking for a left-handed hitting outfielder while shopping one at the same time. He suggested the notion the problems with the fans last year and also floated the notion that Jacque may have privately asked for a trade, which honestly makes the most sense to me.

 

Cause I see no point whatsoever of going from Jacque to Floyd or Lofton without some non-baseball influences driving it.

Posted by: Rob G. at December 5, 2006 04:01 AM

 

Jennings stinks. I would rather have Meche. Unless the Cubs are trading for a humidor as well and the wet balls are only used while the Cubs are on the field.

 

Why move Patterson to Center? He is going to be blocked by Pie. If you're blocked by someone, who would you rather it be, Pie or DeRosa? I am thinking keep him at 2nd, and when he comes up move DeRosa into the 'super utility' role. His salary is a sunk cost at this point, anyway. If his defense can't handle MLB, then let him learn CF in Triple A after Pie is up. Learning a new position your rookie year in the majors isn't really a good idea.

Posted by: The Real Neal at December 5, 2006 05:37 AM

 

Rob G.:

Lilly rumors abound and it seems like an offer has been made in the 4/40 range.

 

4/40 for Lilly. Amazing. Even the rumors are overpriced this year.

Posted by: Ryno at December 5, 2006 07:14 AM

 

Rob G.:

Steve Phillips just on ESPN said there's RUMORS of a 3-way deal between Cubs, Pirates and Rockies.

 

Great. Hendry's seat at the winter meetings was moved to the kiddie table. Next thing you know he'll be cutting a deal with the Royals for Duckworth.

 

*sigh*

Posted by: Ryno at December 5, 2006 07:23 AM

 

I remember Phil had speculated on Patterson moving to Center, so I found this section of Sullivan's article pretty interesting:

 

"With a potentially loaded lineup, the Cubs also could roll the dice and let Felix Pie or second baseman Eric Patterson vie for the center-field job. Both are left-handed hitters with speed, which is what manager Lou Piniella craves."

 

The article does mention that the public rationale to moving him is not his defense at second base but rather DeRosa's contract. Whether that is the real rationale is hard to tell though.

Posted by: Little Nate Lewis at December 5, 2006 07:41 AM

 

A couple tid-bits from an article in the Sun-Times...... I wasn't aware that Jones had asked to be dealt:

 

"Jones has indicated a desire to be dealt since Dusty Baker was let go as manager at the end of the season, and the Cubs appear willing to accommodate him if the right deal can be struck."

 

The article also includes a quote from Hendry building up Theriot's value and versatility. Apparently, the plan is to use Theriot in the Outfield also. It sounds to me like they look at him as being our Ryan Freel (can play anywhere, pinch run, pinch hit, hustles his ass off, etc.)

Posted by: Little Nate Lewis at December 5, 2006 07:48 AM

 

I'm fine with trading Marmol and Jones for Jennings, but if we do that, then we need to either trade for a guy like Westbrook, or man up and sign Schmidt instead of Lilly.

 

Z

Jennings

Lilly

Hill

Miller

 

ain't gonna cut it.

 

Read the blurb about Wilken, and maybe he can turn this farm around again. Although hopefully we can get some position players to pan out instead of just pitchers. 3rd and 31st picks in a loaded draft next year shouldn't hurt matters, either.

Posted by: Ryan at December 5, 2006 08:17 AM

 

Even more interesting is that Oneiri Fleita has confirmed that the Cubs have asked Patterson to move into the outfield, because Mark DeRosa has the 4 hole locked up:

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...-home-headlines

 

Here's the quote from Fleita:

 

"'Eric is starting to get on a path of doing things he needs to do,' said Oneiri Fleita, the Cubs director of player development. 'He has learned how to bunt, he's running a lot more. He's a very good base-runner. And we've asked him to explore the opportunity to go take balls off the bat so it isn't foreign to him if he's asked to go out and play center field.

 

"'Right now he's a second baseman, but he's a left-handed hitter who can do a lot of little things. We're going to try to make sure that if he's ready, if there is a spot that's maybe blocking him, he can go play another spot.'"

 

Looks like Fleita and AZ Phil are thinking along the same line.

 

Soriano has said that he wants to be put into one position and left there. I'm not sure that right is the best position for him, because the Wrigley right field is so tough to play. My guess is that they'll put Soriano in left, someone - maybe Patterson - in center, and leave Jones in right. But that's just my guess.

 

It bothers me that two of most promising young players, Theriot and Murton, are going to rot on the bench. But that's how it appears to be working out.

Posted by: Urbs in Horto at December 5, 2006 08:21 AM

 

What might the Pirates give up? GM Dave Littlefield has stated in no uncertain terms they do not wish to part with any of their four young starters -- Ian Snell, Zach Duke, Paul Maholm and Tom Gorzelanny -- but that could be mere gamesmanship to heighten their perceived value. In reality, to land their type of hitter, they will be enormously hard-pressed to find a suitor willing to take a reliever or two or three. And the only hitting the Pirates appear willing to give is that of second baseman Jose Castillo, whose value is at a low ebb.

 

Click here for full story.

 

Since the Cub's apparently need to move Jones, and the Bucs need a LH bat, how about this trade:

 

Jones for Snell & Capps. Then, once they have Capps in the locker room, they can beat his silly ass for taking so long in between pitches. Then option him to A-Peoria never to be heard from again. I really hate that guy. Either Duke or Snell would be nice, though.

Posted by: Ryno at December 5, 2006 08:24 AM

 

A Patterson in the outfield?

 

Didn't we already try this...??

 

AZ PHIL, can he do it?

 

Jennings pitches innings and has youth on his side. He gave up 17 HR in over 200 innings last year which is what Rusch gives up in a couple games. But in looking at his stats on Baseball Reference, walks & WP abound. What a sh*tty pitchers FA market. Bleh!

 

Welcome back TCR server. I was lost until I found you.

Posted by: The E-Man at December 5, 2006 08:59 AM

 

From the last thread:

 

So Padilla's off the board and Maddux is about to join him. Both ESPN and Fox Sports are reporting that Maddux is about to sign a contract with San Diego.

 

According to Ken Rosenthal, the contract is either a one or two year contract, or is a one year contract with a team option for the second year. He didn't indicate the value of the contract, although reports yesterday said that the Dodgers were hoping to sign Maddux for $10.5 million per year, but that Maddux wanted more.

Posted by: Sweet Lou at December 5, 2006 09:05 AM

 

STL extended Carpenter

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2686240

 

So, with Oswalt and Carpenter setting the market for top-tier non FA contract extensions, the Z extension should be pretty cut and dry.

 

Oswalt got 5/73 and Carpenter got 5/65. Z should fall somewhere in between, so hopefully it doesn't drag on too long.

Posted by: mannytrillo at December 5, 2006 09:12 AM

 

Phillips repeated the same Jones/Marmol-Jennings rumor today on Mike and Mike.

 

He also said the Cubs could have a deal done with Lilly by the end of the day.

 

Joy of Joys.

Posted by: Bleeding Blue at December 5, 2006 09:12 AM

 

file this under, it's not over till it's over...

 

Blue Jays want to keep Lilly, make late-night offer (by Scott Miller/CBS Sportsline.

 

http://tinyurl.com/yyn37l

 

when Lilly goes for the BJ's (damn, that's fun to write), does it mean full court press for Jason Schmidt? Hopefully.

 

can we say Lilly wowed by...40 million bjays?

Posted by: cubster at December 5, 2006 09:24 AM

 

Hendry tells the Tribune this morning that The Riot is very valuable and may see time in the outfield this season. Says he can play all three outfield spots. As I thought, it sounds like he's going to get some ABs this season.

 

As for a rotation with Z, Lilly and Jennings... I think they'd just shut the free swinging Cubs down. A lot of other teams are going to be taking a lot of pitches. If you like your starters hitting the 100 pitch mark in the fifth and sixth, you'll love this team.

Posted by: tbone at December 5, 2006 09:32 AM

 

When you consider the majority of our starters were out by the 4th or 5th, its still an improvement.

Posted by: the E-Man at December 5, 2006 09:39 AM

 

E-Man,

 

Yes, the cup would be half full in that regard.

Posted by: tbone at December 5, 2006 09:47 AM

 

mannytrillo:

Oswalt got 5/73 and Carpenter got 5/65. Z should fall somewhere in between

 

Z is a real real good pitcher with a huge upside and age on his side, but let's get one thing straight:

 

Z is no Oswalt or Carpenter.

 

I'd trade Z for either one of those two straight up. The sad thing is all the guy has to do is throw more strikes and he could be right up there with them.

 

I'd be generous, though, give him 4/45. That put him at (I think) 29 when he signs his next contract and will be deserving of huge money by that time.

 

 

cubster:

file this under, it's not over till it's over...

 

Blue Jays want to keep Lilly, make late-night offer (by Scott Miller/CBS Sportsline.

 

Wow, a big frenzy over who gets Lilly? Strange. It reminds me of that time that everyone was like... "Oooh, whose going to get Fredi Gonzalez for manager?"

Posted by: Ryno at December 5, 2006 09:53 AM

 

#2 of 38: By BT (December 4, 2006 11:19 PM)

Are the qualifications of the minor league portion the same, and who are some of the key players who can be taken in the minor league phases?

 

I remember Andy Santana was selected last year by San Diego, do you know what ever happened to him?

 

Thanks a lot

 

==================================

 

BT: Andy Sanchez was released by the Padres in June. He never made it out of Extended Spring Training.

 

As for the Rule 5 question, the 50 Cubs minor leaguers I listed as being eligible for Thursday's Rule 5 Draft is the complete list. It is from this list of 50 that players will be selected in the Draft (Major League Phase, AAA Phase, and AA Phase).

 

The off-season AAA Iowa roster limit is 38, and there is only one player currently on the Iowa roster who is NOT eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, and that is Eric Patterson. Which means that no more than 37 of the 50 can be on the Iowa roster, and thus eligible for selection in the Major League Phase of the draft (where players cost $50,000, and where if the drafting team decides not to keep the drafted player on its 25-man roster for an entire season, the original team can get the player back for half the draft price).

 

And that would also mean that (at least) 13 of the 50 Cubs minor leaguers eligible for selection in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft are on the AA (Tennessee) roster or on a Class "A" roster, and those 13 will be eligible for selection in the AAA Phase (for $12,000) or the AA Phase (for $4,000), the two phases of the draft where clubs do not get a player back from the drafting team once he has been selected.

 

I don't know for sure which 13 of the 50 eligibles are NOT on the Iowa roster, but if I had to take a stab at it, I would guess the following:

 

Oscar Bernard, RHP

Ryan Bicondoa, RHP

Chadd Blasko, RHP

Jose Caridad, RHP

Robinson Chirinos, 2B

Alberto Garcia, 1B-OF

Cristian Gonzalez, RHP

Luke Hagerty, LHP

Richard Lewis, 2B

Leonel Perez, RHP

Robert Ransom, RHP

Carlos Rojas, SS

Alan Rick, C

Posted by: Arizona Phil at December 5, 2006 10:06 AM

 

#5 of 40: By Carlos (December 5, 2006 12:25 AM)

Johan's claim should be #3.

 

 

 

Doug Pappas, RIP

 

http://www.all-baseball.com/cubreporter/archives/024681.html

 

Check out three time all-star centerfielder Chris Walker, stuck at AA with guys like Pie and before him others ahead of him. Sound familiar?

 

There is an absolute ton of interviews and stuff on him on Scout.com. He did a weekly diary/interview thing with them all season. If nothing else there's some interesting back story stuff on life in the minors. Did I mention he and Homer Bailey really don't like each other? lol

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Sources close to the situation have indicated that the Oakland A?s have made arrangements to receive the first pick in tomorrow morning?s Rule Five draft from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. There is no indication as to who the Athletics will select, though there is some talk about Pedro Strop of the Rockies, who unlike many arms available is young (21) and has upper 90s velocity.

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http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/new...b&fext=.jsp

 

12/07/2006 12:16 AM ET

A's maneuver to select Soria

Devil Rays to deal top overall pick in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft

By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com

 

Joakim Soria is 8-0 with a 2.02 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings in the Mexican Pacific League. (lmb.com.mx)

 

 

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- At a Winter Meetings where there's been much ado about nothing, people were trying to make something about Thursday's Rule 5 Draft.

Until late Wednesday night, those who were attempting to generate some buzz in the annual Minor League draft, it seemed unlikely that the draft -- particularly the Major League phase -- would make up for what's been a lackluster few days.

 

While it still is likely to be a relatively light Major League phase when the draft begins at 9 a.m. ET on Thursday, there were some wheelings and dealings, Rule 5 style, to get clubs in position to take the guys they want.

 

MLB.com has learned that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who hold the No. 1 pick, have dealt -- or sold -- it. The buyers apparently will be the Oakland A's. And the name most commonly mentioned as the top pick is Padres right-handed pitcher Joakim Soria.

 

Soria hasn't pitched much in the United States. The 22-year-old originally was signed by the Dodgers in 2001. He missed all of the 2003 season due to injury and most recently was pitching in the Mexican Summer League. The Padres signed him this past season and he pitched only 11 2/3 innings with Class A Fort Wayne, though he has struck out more than a batter an inning over 170 total innings.

 

What's really attracted people to Soria and his 90-93 mph fastball has been what he's doing in the Mexican Winter League. Pitching for the Yaquis de Obregon, the right-hander is leading all three triple crown pitching categories: he's 8-0 with 64 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings, yielding just 46 hits (.204 opponents' batting average) and 19 walks.

 

The Kansas City Royals are picking second. It appeared likely they were going to make room on their 40-man roster to take Rockies right-hander Pedro Strop. Strop originally signed with Colorado in 2002 as a middle infielder but made the conversion to the mound this season. He made 11 appearances with Casper in the Pioneer League, striking out 22 and walking just two in 13 innings. He moved up to Class A Asheville for 11 appearances, and while his ERA jumped from 2.08 to 4.73, he struck out 13 in 13 1/3 innings against five walks. For the season, Strop used a mid-90s fastball to fan 35 and walk seven in 26 1/3 innings.

 

Overall, despite this late activity, it seemed like most teams would sit out the Major League phase, with a good chance that selections would fall well short of the dozen players taken each of the previous two years.

 

The basic rules remain the same for the Major League phase. It costs $50,000 to make a selection and the team that takes a player must keep him on the 25-man active roster all season or offer him back to his original team for $25,000. Thanks to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, however, one thing has changed dramatically. Every organization now has an extra year to decide whether to protect players on the 40-man. As a result, this year's pool is much thinner than usual. More than anything, that's the reason for the seeming lack of interest in the Major League phase.

 

"The rule changes probably make it more limited," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "There's talk of some teams trying to trade up."

 

Aside from the A's moving up to the top spot, there was talk the Phillies (currently at No. 19) would try to climb, possibly into the seventh spot occupied by the Brewers. The Orioles, with the No. 5 pick, were contacted by a few teams were likely to make some sort of deal.

 

The teams with the top four picks came into the Winter Meetings full at 40 on their respective rosters. The Devil Rays and Royals, it now seems, have made moves to remove someone so they can be active in the Major League phase, either by trade or with an actual selection. The Cubs seemed interested in making a pick, but the Pirates at No. 4 seemed to be sitting this one out.

 

Even in an expected light year, there will be some activity, with several teams at least considering several eligible players. The names being mentioned, other than Soria, are pitchers like Jamie Vermilyea, the Blue Jays right-hander who also was taken a year ago; Steve Andrade, another possible repeat pick who recently signed a Minor League deal with the Devil Rays; Jose "Jumbo" Diaz, a reliever with the Dodgers who finished this season with Vero Beach; Casey Hoorelbeke, a fellow Dodgers reliever who pitched well recently in the Arizona Fall League; Sean White, a right-hander in the Braves system who also pitched in the AFL; and Jim Ed Warden, an Indians reliever who pitched for Double-A Akron this past season.

 

On the position player front, one of the most intriguing names on the entire eligible list is Mets catcher Jesus Flores. Flores hit for power and caught fairly well, making him an attractive prospect. But he played in the Class A Advanced Florida State League this past year and there hasn't been a strong history of catchers sticking as Rule 5 picks. Other hitters who could go are Indians outfielder Ryan Goleski, who hit 27 homers and drove in more than 100 runs across two levels, and perhaps Rangers slugging first baseman Nate Gold, who led the Texas League with 34 homers (second overall in the Minors).

 

 

Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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