Some intriguing arms are available in this year’s Rule 5 Draft at the MLB Winter Meetings.
The Rule 5 Draft is rapidly approaching as the MLB Winter Meetings are currently taking place in Nashville, Tennessee. Every team will have the chance to select unprotected players from other clubs, both in the main league and minor league ranks, during this year’s draft on December 6. That does not imply that all teams will.
Teams may pay $100,000 to pick eligible non-40-man roster players from other clubs in the Rule 5 Draft, then add those players to their own 40-man roster. These choices must be added to the 26-man roster of the drafting team and stay there for the duration of the season, or they can be returned to their original team, which has the option to accept or reject them.
Shane Victorino, a Rule 5 pick, was infamously offered back to the Los Angeles Dodgers by the Phillies. He played in the lower leagues for the Phillies until winning the World Series in 2008 because the Dodgers didn’t want him.
Eight of the 14 players selected in the Rule 5 Draft’s major league round last year saw major league action. With Boston Red Sox right-hander Noah Song, the Philadelphia Phillies took a chance. Song’s time with the Phillies ended in August when the team sent him back to Boston after he was placed on the military list.
The Phillies decided not to shield any players from the Rule 5 Draft this year, but that doesn’t mean they won’t sift through the murky ranks of other teams in search of undiscovered talent. The Phillies may be looking for pitching skills because there aren’t many openings in non-pitcher positions.
What weapons are available for the Phillies’ general manager Sam Fuld and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to take a chance on in this year’s Rule 5 Draft? These are four fascinating names that remained unregistered.
Matt Sauer, the No. 25 prospect for the New York Yankees, has mostly been a starter, but there’s no reason his stuff couldn’t be useful in the bullpen as well. According to MLB.com, Sauer, a second-round draft selection in 2017, has struggled with ailments. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and spent two months on the injured list this season due to a forearm strain.
With a high 93–95 mph fastball and a mid–80s slider, the 24-year-old right-hander has produced a 3.42 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 83 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings pitched at Double-A this season. In the hitter-friendly Arizona Fall League, Sauer pitched 10 2/3 innings, although his results were not as good. Despite recording eighteen strikeouts, his final ERA was 5.91.
