Half of last year's major league Rule 5 draft selections stand poised to make Opening Day big league rosters—two of them with the Astros—while four others will begin on the disabled list, another (Brett Lorin) will start in Double-A after his rights were acquired in trade. Only one of the 12 Rule 5 picks (Terry Doyle) has has been returned to his original organization (White Sox).

With the exception of Lorin and Doyle, all the other Rule 5 selections must remain on the drafting club's 25-man active roster (or disabled list) or else be placed on waivers. If they clear waivers, then their original organization can buy them back for half of the $50,000 draft price.

• Righty reliever Rhiner Cruz walked six batters per nine innings last season for the Double-A Binghamton Mets and then walked another 10 batters in 17 Dominican League innings. After a wild spring training from Cruz, Astros manager Brad Mills caustically told correspondent Zachary Levine, “At the major league level, you’ve got to be able to throw the ball where you want to throw it. Look at what happens when you’re not throwing strikes.” Cruz struck out 51 in 59 innings with a 1.40 WHIP in Double-A last year. [...] Continue Reading »

DALLAS—In the first half of this decade, the Rule 5 draft produced star big leaguers such as Johan Santana, Dan Uggla and Jose Bautista, among others.

But the eligibility rules changed for the 2006 edition of the draft, granting teams an extra year of protection for their players. After teams got used to the new rules of the game—Joakim Soria and Josh Hamilton went off the board early in ’06—the draft has mattered less and less each year. Since ’07 the success stories have been much more modest, e.g. Darren O'Day, Joe Paterson, Everth Cabrera, and just five Rule 5 picks stuck with their drafting clubs from the 2010 proceedings, only one of them a position player, Michael Martinez of the Phillies.

[...] Continue Reading »

ORLANDO—Thursday's Rule 5 draft may not start with Rays righthander Aneurys Rodriguez, but the former Rockies righthander appears to be the most likely player to be selected.

Rodriguez already fit the profile as a somewhat prospecty pitcher with four full seasons of full-season experience, solid stuff, durability and three pitches he throws for strikes. Now Rodriguez, 22, has added a strong performance in the Dominican League. One report had Rodriguez throwing in the 90-93 mph in winter ball and he was 3-2, 1.22, leading the league in ERA and WHIP (0.95).

Many of the names we've heard tied to the Rule 5 were the names we listed in the original preview last week (subscribers-only link). Here are some other prospects—almost all pitchers—whose names have popped up this week during regular strolls through the lobby:

• Elvin Ramirez, rhp, Mets: Ramirez has pushed his fastball up to 98-99 mph according to several scouts who have seen him in the Dominican. A starter all the way through 2009, Ramirez moved full-time to the bullpen in 2010, going 4-4, 4.16 and reaching Double-A Binghamton. He throws a changeup, curve and slider as well but has impressed most with his improved fastball velocity and control in the Dominican, where he was averaging 11.32 strikeouts per nine innings and just 1.74 walks per nine. He's posted a 2.18 ERA in 21 innings. [...] Continue Reading »

The Dodgers announced Sunday they are keeping Rule 5 draft pick Carlos Monasterios as a member of the Opening Day roster.

Monasterios was an unlikely candidate to stick, considering his 4.49 career ERA and 290 strikeouts in 385 minor league innings—just seven of them above Class A. However, the 24-year-old Venezuelan found the right situation, a Dodgers team lacking pitching depth and needing to hold the line on salaries. It doesn't get any cheaper than a $50,000 Rule 5 pickup. [...] Continue Reading »

Spring training may be just completed, but clubs still have a day or two to finalize decisions on Rule 5 draft selections they made last Dec. 10.

Clubs selected 17 players in the major league phase last year, and we know the fate of 11 of those picks already. The other six still had a chance to stick. Well, it's down to five, really, because Indians righthander Hector Ambriz will begin on the disabled list after pitching just two innings this spring. He walked three and struck out one. The fateful five:

• John Raynor, of, Pirates, taken No. 2 overall
He batted .227/.277/.409 (10-for-44) this spring, with a double, two triples, a homer and an 0-for-1 showing in stolen bases.

• Zack Kroenke, lhp, Diamondbacks, taken No. 6 overall
He went 1-0, 7.71 this spring, striking out two and walking two over seven innings. He allowed 11 hits and one home run.

• Carlos Monasterios, rhp, Dodgers, taken No. 7 overall
He went 0-1, 1.80 this spring, striking out nine and walking seven over 15 innings. He allowed nine hits and one home run.

• Kanekoa Texeira, rhp, Mariners, taken No. 16 overall
He went 1-0, 0.64 this spring, striking out eight and walking four over 14 innings. He allowed nine hits and no home runs.

• David Herndon, rhp, Phillies, taken No. 22 overall
He went 0-0, 0.77 this spring, striking out seven and walking four over 11 2/3 innings. He allowed seven hits and no home runs. [...] Continue Reading »

The Twins, Tigers, Braves and Reds did not have Rule 5 picks because their 40-man rosters were already full.

*Nationals traded pick to Yankees for righthander Brian Bruney.

**Orioles traded pick to Rangers as part of the trade for righthander Kevin Millwood.

***Astros traded pick to Marlins as part of the trade for righthander Matt Lindstrom.

#After the draft, the Mets traded Monasterios to the Dodgers for cash considerations.

The Triple-A phase has started and the picks are actually coming a bit too quick to keep up with all of them. But some quick Triple-A picks of interest:

• Beau Vaughn, who has good blogging tools, goes to the A’s.

• The Mets took Johnny Lujan, a Puerto Rican righty with a low slot.

• There were 21 players picked, but no Garrett Broshuis. Really? Really?

It’s a thin talent pool that’s been picked over for the Rule 5 draft so far, and everyone’s passing in the second round of the major league phase. No one drafted a player. Seventeen (17) players went in the major league phase.

Nothing exceptional in the first round, no Josh Hamiltons, no one with Joakim Sorai upside. If I’m wrong about that in a year or two, I’ll happily eat those words.

Minor league phase to follow. [...] Continue Reading »

Orioles farmhand Steven Johnson, a righthander and the son of ex-big leaguer Dave Johnson, goes to the Giants, while the Cardinals select lefty Ben Jukich. We had Jukich a bit higher on our board . . .

The Phillies take Kenny Herndon from the Angels system, another righthander off their Double-A Arkansas team, joining Bobby Cassevah in being picked off that club.

The first round is over. On to the second round.

Chuck Lofgren, one-time Futures Game starter, goes to Milwaukee, while the Cubs took righty Mike Parisi from the Cardinals. Frankly none of these picks are exciting me.

The Rays take Armando Zerpa from the Red Sox, a lefty reliever whose work we are not familiar.

Seattle takes righthander Kanekoa Texeira and his slider from the Yankees. So the Yanks have lost Texeira. This one they can spare.

The Athletics took sinkerballing righthander Bobby Cassevah from the Angels. Toronto followed with righty Zech Zinicola, off the Nationals farm. He’s the former Arizona State closer. Man, it’s a busy first round.

New York selects Carlos Monasterios, the righthander in the Phillies system, a sinkerballer acquired in 2006 in the Bobby Abreu trade.

The Astros follow with Jorge Gimenez, a third baseman from the Red Sox system. He’s an offensive-minded minor league veteran.

The Padres pass.

Former UCLA righthander Hector Ambriz to the Indians with the fifth pick; kudos to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, who was on that.

The Diamondbacks take lefty Zack Kroenke from the Yankees system.

Orioles take lefty Ben Snyder from the Giants and will trade him to the Rangers in the Kevin Millwood trade. The Royals follow with lefty Edgar Osuna from the Braves.

The Nationals take Jamie Hoffmann first overall, and he’ll be traded to the Yankees for Brian Bruney. The Pirates follow with speedster John Raynor out of the Marlins system.

INDIANAPOLIS—The Rule 5′s about to be on, and our connection looks secure. If we lose our site here due to crazy Rule 5 traffic, we’ll switch to the BA Twitter feed.

The roll call is starting, so no more datelines or rumors. We’ll just blog every pick as fast as we can.

INDIANAPOLIS—Baseball is the only draft of amateur talent where teams are not allowed to trade draft picks. I’ve never been an advocate of trading picks—after all, sports such as basketball and football don’t trade minor leaguers, since they don’t have any. Prospect deals in baseball are the equivalent of draft-pick deals in other sports.

But this week’s Rule 5 draft gives teams a chance to trade draft picks, sort of. The slots can’t be traded, but this week has brought a slew of trades including players to be named, and most if not all are tied to the Rule 5. [...] Continue Reading »

The Twins take Jason Jones, a righthander from the Yankees, while the Mets try to fortify their bullpen—again—by taking sidearming Darren O’Day from the Angels.

The Brewers then pop the elephant in the room, Eduardo Morlan, down at 25 overall. Morlan fell as hard as Brady Quinn!

The Phillies took righty Bobby Mosebach out of the Angels system, and the Angels lost yet another player with righthander Miguel Gonzalez going to the Red Sox.

The Rays took sidearming righty Derek Rodriguez from the White Sox. And the Cubs and Angels pass to end the first round, with 19 players selected. On to round two.