The Rule 5 Draft has come and gone with 15 players selected in the big-league phase and 28 selected in the minor league portion.
Players selected in the MLB phase are immediately added to that club’s 40-man roster and must remain on the active roster, big-league IL, or be offered back to his original club. Order in reverse of win-loss percentage.
MLB
- Chicago White Sox: Shane Smith, RHP (MIL)
- Miami Marlins: Liam Hicks, C (DET)
- Los Angeles Angels Angels: Garrett McDaniels, LHP (LAD)
- Athletics: Noah Murdock, RHP (KC)
- Washington Nationals: Evan Reifert, RHP (TB)
- Toronto Blue Jays: Angel Bastardo, RHP (BOS)
- Cincinnati Reds: Cooper Bowman, 2B (A’s)
- Tampa Bay Rays: Nate Lavender, LHP (NYM)
- Minnesota Twins: Eiberson Castellano, RHP (PHI)
- Chicago Cubs: Gage Workman, 3B (DET)
- Atlanta Braves: Anderson Pilar, RHP (MIA)
- San Diego Padres: Juan Nunez, RHP (BAL)
- Milwaukee Brewers: Connor Thomas, LHP (STL)
- Philadelphia Phillies: Mike Vasil, RHP (NYM)
- Chicago White Sox: Christian Cairo, SS (CLE)
Smith, 24, hits the mid-90s with his fastball and has flashed a plus cirveball since signing and a non-drafted free agent in 2021. He ended his 2024 season in Triple-A as a reliever, but made 16 starts in Double-A for the Brewers.
The 25-year-old Hick was a ninth-round pick in 2021 out of Arkansas State and carries a career .274/.405/.374 slash to Miami. As his contact rates have improved, his OBPs have too, but there’s a lot of work to do defensively and he offers essentially no power.
McDaniels, 24, hasn’t stayed healthy much, but has missed bats with a high arm slot and two quality pitches, led by a fastball into the mid-90s. He’s shown feel for a changeup, but his best secondary is a slider with some sweep, and the lefty creates some deception at his front shoulder with some cross-body. He’ll throw a shorter breaker away to right-handed batters.
Murdock has three pitches that project, but his control is significantly below average, even since the Royals moved him to the bullpen full-time. It’s a fastball-cutter-slider arsenal for the 26-year-old.
Reifert, 25, is a pure reliever who posted a 40.4% strikeout rate in 35 games at Double-A in 2024. The fastball reaches 96 mph, but his slider is a potential double-plus offering. He’s had problems throwing strikes, but did get his walk rate under 10% this past season.
Bastardo, 22, is a four-pitch arm with a chance at two above-average secondaries, but his fastball lacks value despite touching 95 mph. The overhand curveball and changeup have the most promise.
Bowman, a fourth-round pick of the New York Yankees in 2021, has shown some hitting ability on his way through the minors, but sputtered in Triple-A with the A’s last summer. There’s some swing-and-miss concern, considering the lack of power, but he can run and field, and has the athleticism to suggest he could be a utility player.
Lavender, 24, brings mid-90s velocity and a chance at two useful secondaries that miss bats, but he’s been unable to throw enough strikes to make any of it matter. His low release from the left side makes him intriguing, however.
Castellano is a 23-year-old right-hander who in 2024 pounded the zone at 94-97 mph and a mid-80s slider. Both pitches missed bats in the minors. He’s spent the vast majority of his pro career in the rotation.
Workman was a fourth-round pick by Detroit in 2020 and since then has improved his ability to find the barrel, as evidenced by his 2024 season (.280/.366/.476, 18 HR in Double-A). He will swing and miss, but he’ll also walk and can handle third base. His left-handed swing has a chance to provide value in a bench/platoon role.
Pilar, now 26, spent eight years with Colorado and 2024 with Miami, serving primarily as a reliever. He’s up to 96 mph with a fastball he manipulates in on left-handed batters and has some carry at the top of the zone, and his mid-80s, short-breaking slider has a chance if he commands it.
Nunez, 24, is a former top 10 prospect who has battled injuries, yet to reach Double-A in his four pro seasons. But he’s flashed a slider and changeup and in 2024 threw strikes in the small sample he offered in the Orioles’ system before succumbing to the IL again (shoulder).
Thomas, a 26-year-old southpaw with a lot of starting experience, moved to the bullpen last season and did well in Triple-A preventing baserunners and runs, but didn’t generate much swing-and-miss. He’s a cutter and slider specialist, but doesn’t get much value from his fastball.
Vasil may be the biggest name selected Wednesday. He’s a former top 10 prospect for the Mets, and it looked like he was on his way to the show when he tossed out a high-quality 18-start season in 2023 where he threw strikes and located his fastball, cutter, and curveball. But he struggled in Triple-A that summer, and again in 2024.
Cairo, 23, is an interesting athlete who can play second base, fill in at short, has experience at the hot corner and has the kind of athleticism that could take well enough to the outfield. He’s an average runner with average bat speed, but possesses good pitch recognition and strike zone judgment, posting big walk rates. There’s no power here, however.
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