Schuster, Nieto top picks in Rule 5
Some players got some new homes Thursday morning. The only thing left to determine is how permanent the moves will be.
Nine players were selected in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft, highlighted by first overall pick and left-handed pitcher Patrick Schuster.
Schuster, who had been part of the D-backs organization entering the day, was picked by the Astros in the Draft but is being moved to the Padres to complete Wednesday's trade that sent reliever Anthony Bass to Houston. The southpaw posted a 1.83 ERA with 45 strikeouts and 18 walks in 44 1/3 innings at Class A Advanced Visalia last season. It was the 23-year-old's second season in the California League.
Schuster made a name for himself at J.W. Mitchell (New Port Richey, Fla.) High School where he threw four straight no-hitters in 2009. The D-backs took him in the 13th round that year.
Adrian Nieto was the second choice of the Draft, moving from the Nationals to the White Sox. The 24-year-old Cuban catcher slashed .285/.373/.449 with 11 homers and 53 RBIs in 110 games for Class A Advanced Potomac last season. He also batted .271/.345/.333 in a 13-game stint in the Arizona Fall League.
Kevin Munson (Phillies), Tommy Kahnle (Rockies), Brian Moran (Blue Jays), Seth Rosin (Mets), Wei-Chung Wang (Brewers), Marcos Mateo (D-backs) and Michael Almanzar (Orioles) rounded out the other nine selections in the Major League portion of the Draft. Moran and Rosin were both traded to the Angels and Dodgers, respectively, following their selections.
Those players picked in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft must stick on his new team's 25-man roster for the entirety of the 2014 regular season, lest they be returned to their previous organization.
Thirty-four selections were made in the Triple-A portion and just two were picked in the Double-A section. The biggest name in the later rounds doesn't even play baseball anymore. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was taken in the Triple-A round by the Rangers. Wilson last played second base in the Rockies system in 2011.
Here's a breakdown of each Rule 5 selection:
Rule 5 Draft selections
MAJOR LEAGUE | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PICK | NAME | POS | NEW ORG | OLD ORG | 2013 NOTES |
1 | Patrick Schuster | LHP | HOU | ARI | Pick expected to be moved to Padres |
2 | Adrian Nieto | C | CWS | WAS | .285/.373/.449 at Class A Advanced Potomac |
3 | Kevin Munson | RHP | PHI | ARI | 4.12 ERA, 66 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings |
4 | Tommy Kahnle | RHP | COL | NYY | 2.85 ERA, 74 strikeouts, 45 walks in 60 innings |
5 | Brian Moran | LHP | TOR | SEA | 3.45 ERA, 85 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings, traded to Angels |
6 | Seth Rosin | RHP | NYM | PHI | 4.33 ERA in 26 Double-A games (23 starts), traded to Dodgers |
7 | Wei-Chung Wang | LHP | MIL | PIT | 3.23 ERA in 12 Gulf Coast League games (11 starts) |
8 | Marcos Mateo | RHP | ARI | CHC | 1.74 ERA in 31 innings across three levels |
9 | Michael Almanzar | 3B | BAL | BOS | .268/.328/.432, 16 homers, 81 RBIs at Double-A Portland |
TRIPLE-A | |||||
ROUND (PICK) | NAME | POS | NEW ORG | OLD ORG | 2013 NOTES |
1 | Ravel Santana | CF | HOU | NYY | .593 OPS at Class A Short-Season Staten Island |
2 | Justin Bour | 1B | MIA | CHC | .237/.313/.461, 18 homers at Double-A Tennessee |
3 | Evan Crawford | LHP | CWS | TOR | 5.60 ERA, 44 strikeouts, 23 walks in 45 innings |
4 | Charles Cutler | C | CHC | PIT | .298/.397/.420 in 86 games at Double-A Altoona |
5 | Kevin Thomas | RHP | MIN | STL | 3.00 ERA, 80 strikeouts, 18 walks in 63 innings |
6 | Roberto Espinosa | RHP | TOR | PIT | 2.30 ERA, 31 strikeouts, 15 walks in 27 1/3 innings |
7 | Jonathan Velasquez | RHP | NYM | MIN | Hasn't pitched in Minors since 2010 |
8 | Kevin Mattison | OF | MIL | MIA | .216/.293/.368, 18 steals at Triple-A New Orleans |
9 | Jacob Lemmerman | SS | SDP | STL | .231/.353/.367 at Double-A Springfield |
10 | Jose Valdivia | RHP | LAA | SEA | 2.23 ERA, 36 strikeouts in 20 Class A Short-Season innings |
11 | Michael Lee | RHP | ARI | ATL | 3.77 ERA in 26 games (21 starts) over two levels |
12 | Julio Borbon | OF | BAL | CHC | .200 average, .558 OPS in 73 MLB games |
13 | Theo Bowe | OF | WAS | CIN | .206/.260/.307 in 99 games with Double-A Pensacola |
14 | Michael O'Brien | RHP | CIN | NYY | 4.17 ERA, 124 strikeouts in 27 games (25 starts) |
15 | Russell Wilson | 2B | TEX | COL | Plays quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks (NFL) |
16 | Enderson Franco | RHP | TB | HOU | 5.05 ERA in 12 starts at Rookie-level Greeneville |
17 | Tyler Sample | RHP | PIT | KC | 5.06 ERA, 47 strikeouts, 49 walks in 48 innings |
18 | Tim Atherton | RHP | OAK | MIN | 2.54 ERA, 102 strikeouts, in 95 2/3 Class A innings |
19 | Jonathan Roof | SS | BOS | PHI | .254/.321/.381 across two Class A levels |
20 | Gregory Miclat | SS | STL | TEX | .244/.330/.284 across three levels |
21 | Carlos Vazquez | LHP | HOU | NYM | 2.93 ERA, 22 strikeouts, seven walks in 30 2/3 innings |
22 | Brady Shoemaker | OF | MIA | CWS | Didn't play in 2013 (shoulder surgery) |
23 | Omar Narvaez | C | CWS | TB | .267/.311/.333 with Class A Short-Season Hudson Valley |
24 | James Fuller | LHP | MIN | NYM | 3.24 ERA, 58 strikeouts, 25 walks in 50 innings |
25 | Richard Bleier | LHP | TOR | TEX | 3.32 ERA in 81 1/3 innings across two levels |
26 | Vinnie Catricala | 3B | MIL | OAK | .621 OPS, traded to A's from Mariners during season |
27 | Adolfo Reina | C | SDP | DET | .193/.241/.283 across two levels |
28 | Hector Hernandez | LHP | ARI | STL | 3.55 ERA, 88 strikeouts, 48 walks in 121 2/3 innings |
29 | Martires Arias | RHP | WAS | NYM | 5.81 ERA in 12 games at Rookie-level Kingsport |
30 | AJ Morris | RHP | PIT | CHC | 4.75 ERA in 31 games (10 starts) at Double-A Tennessee |
31 | Jesus Ustariz | 3B | STL | DET | .280/.391/.452 in 53 games across two levels |
32 | Tony Thompson | 3B | MIA | OAK | .250/.322/.428, 18 homers, 92 RBIs at Class A Advanced Stockton |
33 | Scott Shuman | RHP | TOR | SF | 9.51 ERA, 39 strikeouts, 42 walks in 28 innings |
34 | Felipe Gonzalez | RHP | PIT | NYY | 2.23 ERA in 11 games (five starts) in the GCL |
DOUBLE-A | |||||
ROUND (PICK) | NAME | POS | NEW ORG | OLD ORG | 2013 NOTES |
1 | Blaine Sims | LHP | HOU | ATL | 8.44 ERA in 53 1/3 innings across three levels |
2 | Kelvin Castro | RHP | MIA | NYY | 3.21 ERA, 44 strikeouts, 11 walks in 33 2/3 innings |
Sam Dykstra is a contributor to MiLB.com.