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By Josh Boyd
December 13, 2001

Kevin McGlinchy Photo: Morris Fostoff

BOSTON--Kevin McGlinchy was once the Braves' No. 2 prospect and projected as a future mainstay in Atlanta's vaunted pitching staff.

The 24-year-old righthander became part of the Devil Rays' future Thursday, as the first overall pick in the major league Rule 5 draft (complete results), reuniting him with Tampa Bay general manager and former Atlanta scouting director Chuck LaMar.

"Our GM has experience with him," Devil Rays scouting director Dan Jennings said. "Chuck was with Atlanta when he was drafted in '95. We've always liked him. He was the best guy available. What is he, 24? That fits the direction of our club."

McGlinchy went 7-3, 2.82 in 64 appearances as a major league rookie in 1999 and pitched effectively against the Yankees in the World Series. He allowed 66 hits in 70 innings while walking 30 and striking out 67 as a 21-year-old.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder lasted just eight innings in 2000, though, before shoulder tendinitis sent him to the disabled list and eventually required surgery, causing him to miss most of the last two seasons.

"If we can get him back to what he was, we'll have a pretty special player," Jennings said. "We expect him to be 100 percent by spring training."

McGlinchy is expected to compete for a job in one of baseball's youngest bullpens with righthanders Jesus Colome, 21; Victor Zambrano, 26; Travis Phelps, 24; and Esteban Yan, 27; and lefthander Bobby Seay, 23.

In Too Deep

The Mariners paid a price for having too much talent too protect on their 40-man roster in the Rule 5 action. Four Seattle prospects were selected in the major league phase: righthanders Jeff Farnsworth and Jorge Sosa, lefthander Steve Kent and third baseman Kevin Grabowski.

"That's a tough hit," Mariners vice president of scouting and player personnel Roger Jongewaard said. "But it's good to know. It's a tribute to (farm director) Benny Looper. You figure you like your guys more than anyone else does, but you see this and figure maybe not."

The Tigers tabbed the 26-year-old Farnsworth, Seattle's second-round pick in 1996. He has worked primarily out of the bullpen during the first four years of his career and missed the entire 1998 season with arm problems.

Farnsworth moved into the rotation at Double-A San Antonio in 2001 and the Mariners dropped his arm slot to a low three-quarters release. He went 11-10, 4.35 in the hitter-friendly Texas League and showed more movement and deception after his mechanical adjustment.

"Phil Regan raved about him," Tigers GM Randy Smith said. "Phil says he's ready to pitch up there right now."

Farnsworth's outstanding performance for Lara in Venezuela raised his stock. He's 7-0, 1.69 and shattered a league record by logging 53 1/3 consecutive innings without a walk.

The Brewers grabbed Sosa, who was drafted a year ago in the minor league phase as an outfielder and converted to pitching in the short-season Northwest League. Given his lack of pitching experience, he's considered a longshot to stick on Milwaukee's major league roster all season, but he showed a good feel for his new position, and boasts a 94-98 mph heater to boot.

Players drafted in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft must remain on the big league roster of the teams that took them for the entire 2002 season or be offered back to their original clubs.

The Mariners also added a player in a deal with the Pirates, who drafted slick-fielding Marlins shortstop Luis Ugueto with the second overall pick. The Mariners acquired him for cash.

White Sox righthander Joe Valentine went fourth to the Expos and was traded to Detroit for cash. Valentine has a power arm but a limited feel for his offspeed stuff.

The Phillies apparently didn't learn their lesson when they lost highly touted righthander Derrick Turnbow to the Angels in the Rule 5 draft two years ago. This year they lost righthander Miguel Ascencio, their No. 5 prospect, to the Royals (who themselves lost righthander Ryan Baerlocher to the Padres).

Ascencio broke through in the Class A Florida State League in 2001 and led the league with a 12-5, 2.84 mark.

"In Clearwater, he was 90-94 and was very aggressive with his fastball," Royals GM Allard Baird said. "In addition to his aggressiveness, he showed an above-average changeup. His curveball is very inconsistent, but he flashed the makings of three above-average pitches."

Ascencio walked 70 in 155 innings and has only one full season of work in high Class A. "He'll come in and compete for a job," Baird said. "We aren't going to just carry him."

Baird said Ascencio's ability to change speeds and keep hitters off balance with his deceptive arm action and plus changeup will give him a better chance to make the staff.

Minor Maneuvers

The minor league phase of the draft rarely yields more than a couple of familiar names, but teams are more willing to take risks and experiment with players who intrigue their scouts.

This year's minor league phase produced 43 selections, 35 in the Triple-A phase and eight in the Double-A phase.

The most intriguing pick came from the Blue Jays, who took Pirates lefthander Clint Johnston with the 25th pick in the Triple-A phase and announced him as a first baseman.

A third-team preseason All-America as an outfielder at Vanderbilt in 1998, Johnston was drafted with the 15th overall pick that year.

He spent the last four seasons battling injuries and never got out of Class A. Many thought he was a much better prospect as a position player out of college, and many still do.

"Johnston is very intriguing," Blue Jays vice president of baseball operations Tim Wilken said. "We're going to him a chance with the bat. If 15 teams were on him, 12 were on him as a hitter."

Orioles outfield prospect Papy Ndungidi was one of six Orioles taken in the minor league draft, going to the Mariners in the Triple-A phase. He was regarded as one of the Orioles' top prospects as recently as last year, but questionable behavior and personal problems raised questions about his future.

Mets, Indians complete deal

The Mets and Indians completed the Robert Alomar trade after the Rule 5 Draft as the Mets included first baseman Earl Snyder and lefthander Billy Traber.

A 2000 first-round pick out of Loyola Marymount, Traber had a tumultuous short stay with the Mets. A ligament problem in his throwing elbow discovered in his physical caused the Mets to pull back from their original $1.7 bonus offer; he signed for $400,000.

The No. 5 prospect in the organization, Traber went 10-9, 3.09 combined in 151 1/3 innings between the Class A Florida State League, Double-A and one Triple-A start. Traber uses an 89-91 mph fastball, above-average changeup and sharp split-finger fastball. The Mets wanted him to develop more of a changeup.

Snyder, 25, has hit 20 home runs in each of the last three minor league seasons. He hit .281-20-75 with 35 doubles for Double-A Binghamton in 2001 and can play first base, third base and the outfield. He hit 28 homers in 1999 at Class A Capital City and 25 for Class A St. Lucie in 2000.