On Thursday, Major League Baseball held its Rule 5 draft, when clubs without a full 40-man roster could select certain non-protected players from other clubs.
Eligible players are players within the minor league system that have not been placed on that team’s 40-man roster for a set length of time. Players who signed with their current club at age 18 or younger and have five years of experience are eligible to be drafted if they aren’t on the 40-man roster, and players who signed at 19 or older and have four years of experience are also eligible.
Selection order is based on the reverse order of standing from the previous season, and teams that make a selection from another club must pay that club $100,000. Rule 5 Draft picks are then assigned directly to the drafting club’s 26-man roster. A player must be placed on outright waivers in order to be removed from the 26-man roster in the subsequent season.
Dennis laid out more parameters in his column yesterday.
There is a major league phase and a minor league phase. In the major league phase, the Dodgers lost RHP Brett de Geus to the Texas Rangers and RHP Jordan Sheffield to the Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers themselves declined to take anyone in the major league round.
de Geus was the Dodgers 33rd round draft pick in 2017 out of junior college. He was a non-roster invite to Dodgers Spring Training in 2020.
Sheffield was also a non-roster invite to spring training in 2020 and rose as high at Double-A Tulsa during his tenure with the Dodgers organization.
The Dodgers also had six other players selected during the minor league phase of the draft. RHP Shea Spitzbarth was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Arizona Diamondbacks chose LHP Tyler Gilbert. SS Errol Robinson was taken by the Cincinnati Reds. Outfielder Chris Roller went to the Cleveland Indians. IF Drew Jackson was chosen by the New York Mets, and IF Marcus Chiu went to the Miami Marlins.
If the player chosen by a team does not stay on their active roster for the whole season, he must be offered back to the team he was chosen from for $50,000.
For their part, the Dodgers made two selections in the minor league draft. They selected catcher Ryan January from the Diamondbacks and OF Roimer Bolivar from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Surprise, they did not lose Estevez like everyone thought they would. Sorry to see deGues go. Sheffield was a fringe prospect to me.
Bear they are all fridge prospects and that’s why they are available and seldom claimed, even by “fringe” teams. Believe the dodgers had 2 or 3 available spots on the 40 and didn’t even bother to utilize them. $100,000 each is a winfall. Team depth doesnt extend to the bottom of the 40 man roster. Its really the top 30 guys (give or take)on the roster and of course the the young guys, until they aren’t.
I know, I was not born yesterday and have been watching the way Friedman works. Guys who have no shot, but some skills rarely get protected. Most assumed that Estevez would have been picked, but he wasn’t. I do not think they expected to lose 8 guys though. They usually lose 3 or 4. Dodgers close to signing Utility player, Carlos Asuaje to a minor league deal. Asuaje plays 1st and 3rd most of the time. Last played in the majors in 2018.
I think he’s actually spent most of his time in the majors playing second base, but whatever. AF needs to start filling in some players where he lost them in the draft today. I don’t expect will see Asuaje at Dodger Stadium this year.
Does anyone here know how the players in the MLB phase of the Rule 5 are differentiated from the MiLB phase? I know if you take someone in the MLB phase you have to keep them on your 26 man roster all year, and I know that doesn’t apply to the MiLB phase, but is the player pool for those drafts the same players with the only difference being if you take them in the MLB portion you have to keep them on your roster?
Jeff, my understanding is those players are 6 year guys who have never been on the MLB roster. I could be wrong. Nate Lowe traded to the Rangers by the Rays, and Zack Pop traded to the Marlins by the Diamondbacks right after he was picked in the rule 5 draft.
Wish someone could clarify this. They were obviously not “prospects ” but are part of the minor league system, and are all 26 years ( except chui) which might indicate something?