The Rule 5 Draft
In a half hour or so, baseball executives will gather at the nearby Westin Hotel for the Rule 5 Draft -- or, as they call it in Pittsburgh, the free agent market -- and pick through the closets of their competitors.
The draft, which is named after the rule that created it, allows teams to draft minor league players who are bottled up in other organizations for $50,000. The rub, of course, is that the new team has to keep that player on the 25-man major leagues all season. To send out a Rule V draftee, the drafting team has to send him through waivers or offer him back to his original team for $25,000.
So much for the particulars. The Orioles obviously have a pretty high first pick and they will choose someone, but there's no sense getting attached to him. He isn't going to be with the club when the season opens. There's a riddle hidden inside a mystery buried under an enigma here, but it'll all be clearer very soon.
The Orioles, by the way, owe the Texas Rangers a player to be named later in the Kevin Millwood deal. That may become clearer pretty soon, too, and I'm pretty sure it's not Chad Bradford.
The Washington Nationals have the first pick today, but the player they pick will be traded to the New York Yankees as the player to be named in the trade for reliever Brian Bruney.
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Comments
fire trembley
Posted by: Anonymous | December 10, 2009 9:03 AM
Fire Tremblay? According to Bill James Baseball Handbook 2010 the Orioles recorded four fewer wins than they should have, based on runs scored/runs allowed. Interestingly, they had a similar deficit in 2008. Meanwhile, the Angels have won more games than they should have both years... Is this a credit to the manager? Should Tremblay bone up in the Guide to Baseball Managers?
Posted by: DonM | December 10, 2009 9:20 AM
Peter:
Not all Rule 5 draftees wash-out. Some can be great. Think Johan Santana and Dan Uggla.
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Pete's reply: Absolutely. How about WS MVP Kelly Gruber.
Posted by: Bruce | December 10, 2009 9:36 AM
Bruce,
Remember, Santana was on the ML roster all season after Rule V draft, then sent down to AAA the following year, and then became a ML pitcher full-time. The flaw of Rule 5 draft is that, while trying to benefit clubs with less talent, they actually benefit clubs with enought depth to eat a roster spot.
Posted by: Josh | December 10, 2009 9:50 AM
Wow,
Funny how you took a stab at Pittsburgh Pete. Especially when the O's are right there with them.
Remember, when the Pirates do have a winning season, it'll be the O's threatening their streak of consecutive losing seasons.
Bottom line..... No one associated with the o's (front office, players, media or fans) can throw stones at any other team. Not unless you want to look ridiculous,
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Pete's reply: How do you know I don't want to look ridiculous? And it's called a joke, Wayne...on a baseball blog...lighten up.
Posted by: wayne | December 10, 2009 10:14 AM
Me Wayne.
Me Angry.
Me Find People to Hate.
Me Beat with Stick.
Me Hate Peter Schmuck.
He Oriole Spy.
Me Hate Media Conspiracy.
Me Hate Oriole Fans.
Me Hate Blog.
Me Like Sloping Forehead.
Rah!!!!!!
Posted by: Enzo in Brooklyn | December 10, 2009 10:21 AM
Enzo, is that the Brooklyn in NYC or the Brooklyn in Baltimore? Either way, looks like you're having the nervous breakdown we've all been waiting for. I think the pressure of living in Brooklyn is getting to you.
Posted by: ken | December 10, 2009 10:51 AM
Wayne,
Records aside, who has Pittsburgh EVER gone out and gotten in the free agent market? You know, since that's what the joke was actually about.
For example, Baez was a bigger signing here than anything they've ever had there since.
Just lighten up and remember that someone who casts stones about others looking foolish should really consider that they are looking foolish in the process sometimes.
It takes away from the times when you do bring meaningful points of discussion to the table.
Posted by: James C | December 10, 2009 11:29 AM