Teams can effectively use the draft to fill out their rosters at essentially the league minimum and are not required to keep the player on the 25 man roster the following season (a la Johan Santana). There are many teams that would prefer to simply invite players to spring training with the hope that someone will shine.
Not surprisingly, Washington had the first pick last year and chose Cincinnati pitcher Terrell Young. Young was returned to the Reds after a lackluster spring training. He did not pitch in 2009 due to a shoulder injury. The Reds are hoping for a full recovery and that he will pitch in 2010 in the minors. This is how the majority of Rule V selections turn out. A few notable exceptions follow:
San Diego was one of two teams to have immediate success last year. The Padres had multiple holes in their roster to fill, not to mention financial constraints imposed upon them. They chose Everth Cabrera, who became the everyday shortstop. Pitcher Ivan Nova did not pan out and was later returned to the Yankees, ultimately only costing them $25,000.
The Padres also struck gold when they claimed reliever Luis Perdomo off waivers from the San Francisco, which selected him from St. Louis. He was 1-0 with a 4.80 ERA in 35 appearances. He ably filled a role as long-reliever. He likely would not have reached the Majors as quickly had he remained in the Cardinals Organization. Neither Cabrera nor Perdomo was a difference maker for the Padres. However, it was a bonus for a team that began the season thinking that Brian Giles was going to be a productive player.
Darren O’Day represented one team’s poor scouting (swing and miss) and another team’s foresight (base hit). O’Day, who played in three minor league seasons for the Angels (12-8, 36 saves, 2.76 ERA in 105 appearances) and had a brief stint in Anaheim (30 appearances, 4.57 ERA), was first selected by the NY Mets. After only four appearances, he was waived and claimed by Texas, where he was an integral part of the Rangers’ bullpen. In 64 appearances covering 55.2 innings, he was 2-1, with two saves, a 1.94 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and a 64/17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Last season only Johan Santana (146/46) and Pedro Feliciano (59/18) had comparable ratios. Had they overpaid him, O’Day might have remained with the Mets all season.
In recent years, Donnie Veal had fallen off the Cubs’ radar, allowing Pittsburgh to draft him last December. He made 19 appearances going 1-0 with a 7.16 ERA and 2.33 WHIP in 16.1 innings. Since the Pirates seemed destined for last place in the NL Central, it was a chance they could take. The experiment was not a total failure as Veal pitched brilliantly in the Arizona Fall League. His performance (3-1 with a 2.14 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in seven starts) caught everyone’s attention while #1 draft pick Stephen Strasburg drew all the hype. Even though the Pirates are stocked with left-handed starters, he should be given a long look in Florida this March.
The Cubs acquired RHP David Patton from Cincinnati, which drafted him from Colorado. His 3-1 record is misleading as his 6.83 ERA and 1.81 WHIP were more indicative of his performance. Competition for the 25-man roster appears to be tighter this year. It’s too early to write him off entirely some more seasoning may be the cure.
There is very little fanfare in the papers when a rule five draftee is waived and returned to his former team. Unless a player achieves immediate all-star status like Dan Uggla, most teams and fans will have to deal with delayed satisfaction. Major League Baseball is not like fantasy baseball, the winning teams are a sum of the parts rather than just a mere collection of stars. Even though the Yankees spent a gazillion dollars last year, there were a number of role players and foot soldiers who did their job well.
Next up is a look at the 2009 Draft.
