The 2012 Rule 5 Draft is set to kick off in about 15 minutes (together, perhaps, with Jason Grilli’s free agent decision), and the Chicago Cubs pick second.
I’ll post the relevant picks here as they happen (the Cubs’ pick, any traded picks, and any Cubs players selected), but here’s yesterday’s primer if you’re late to the party.
The tentative expectation is that the Cubs will select a pitcher, but they could just as easily try and grab a bat or trade the pick.
Here’s the link to follow along live on MLB.com. (Holy crap the audio is terrible.)
- Carrie Muskat says the Cubs are inclined to pick, and then keep their pick, this year.
- The Houston Astros select Josh Fields, the best MLB-ready reliever in the Draft. Naturally.
- And the Cubs select RHP Hector Rondon from the Cleveland Indians’ AAA team.
- Will have more on Rondon in a separate post when this has all shaken out, but he’s a formerly very good prospect who is coming off of Tommy John surgery, and is apparently throwing very well in Venezuela.
- Ahh, crap. The Diamondbacks are going to try and do the stash thing with a great young Cubs are, Starling Peralta. He hasn’t pitched above A-ball.
- The Cubs passed in the second round, as expected, so they are done picking today.
- Well, crap on a cracker: the Cubs just lost Michael Burgess to the Astros in the AAA phase of the Rule 5, which is usually a total non-event. He’s not a top prospect by any stretch, but he’s also not a non-prospect (recall, he was the main piece the Cubs got for Tom Gorzelanny, once upon a time). Again, not a huge deal, but never fun to lose a guy for nothing.
- The Cubs passed in the AAA phase.
- Ouch – the Cubs just lost Matt Cerda, a nice, versatile minor leaguer with the best plate discipline in the system. Probably wasn’t a future big league regular or even bench guy, but it was a possibility. Damn you, St. Louis.
- Cubs gettin’ poached like crazy in the minor league phases, now losing Alvido Jimenez. I’ll confess, he’s one I’d never heard of until today. A 20-year-old righty in rookie ball. He pitched well there last year, but it was his third straight year at that level.
- In case you were wondering, it’s rare to get minor leaguer’s back from the minor league phases, so you can expect that Burgess, Cerda, and Jimenez are all gone for good.
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Who could go from the Cubs?
Who are the targets?
There’s a number of interesting pitchers and a couple of position players. Most of us seem to want Josh Fields, a relief pitcher from the Boston system who had lights out numbers at AA and AAA last season.
Fields is suppose to be up to 97mph and have control. I think the pirates pitcher would be pretty easy to pull another “lendy castillo” trick with if they were so inclined.
Ok then lets go get that Boston guy!
Fields is the top of my wish list for this draft but I cannot imagine the Astros passing up on him.
Still waiting for MLB.com’s promised live video link.
I thought it was just audio.
Oh yeah, maybe I’m misremembering. Either way, I want my link.
If someone finds the link, can they post it?
Thanks.
Just added to post (just found it).
Tim crabbe and Miguel Celestino look solid with high upside. This is assuming that the Astros take Lara #1
I wouldn’t mind seeing them pick up Jefry Marte. He is only 21 and should at least top the “offense” that Stewart provided last year.
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?topic_id=40172882&&content_id=25517943
This is the link I’m using. Hope it works for you guys
I am the only member of the Jonathan Galvez movement, it seems.
Braulio Lara from TB
I checked out Jeremy Hazelbaker stats, and I think the Cubs should definitely take him. he has a chance to be pretty good. He won’t be a Star, but he could be a solid OF for a long time.
agreed, i like Hazelbaker as potential break out guy
well there goes fields.
oh well, josh Fields is gone
RAAAAAAAGGEE!!!!! SCREW YOU ASTROS!!!!
hahahahahaah
oh well, another pitcher coming off an injury filled season. WE really do have a plan, huh.
Why did I ever doubt that the front office would seize every opportunity to add another pitcher coming off of surgery and injury?
Apparently really hard.
And we just lost Starin Peralta.
That should read “apparently throws really hard.” Reference to hitting 98 this year.
You can’t blame the front office because the Astros took Shields. I think this is payback for stealing Deshaies. LOL Actually, it’s the smart move. I’m glad the Astros are going to the AL West because in 2-3 years they’re going to be a powerhouse. Good GM.
I wasn’t blaming the front office. Simply making an observation that they seem to believe recently injured pitchers is a new market inefficiency.
starlin Paralta is gone.
wow…TWO elbow surgeries?! that was an interesting choice…
All this Rule V talk is equivalent to preseason NFL wailing. People complain about roster moves of special team gunners or practice squad members.
That said, any infusion of talent is a good thing.
Rule 5
Ben Badler @BenBadler
Rondon hasn’t stayed healthy the last three years, but talked to scouts who saw him throwing hard in Venezuela. Not surprised he went high.
woulda liked hazelbaker. but of course pitcher
This is a great warmup for the Rule 4 next year when I get a huge metaphorical crush on a player only to have the Astros take him.
Where’s Luke? How do we feel about losing Paralta? Please advise.
It sucks hard. I’ve seen him pitch in person and he throws relatively hard and was pounding the strike zone when I saw him. His only issue has been consistency, but he’s got the ceiling of a #2 IMO.
Very good young pitcher, very far from the bigs. It’s a pure stash move by the Diamondbacks, which could be tough for them, given the playoff aspirations. But yeah, it would suck to lose him. He’s a legit prospect.
Pure stash move. he wasn’t even on the radar to be selected. But if the choice was him being put on the 40 man, or having him chosen, we made the right decision. We have enough guys on the 40 that far from the league as is.
Luke Blaize @ltblaize
Ouch. Aggressive pick for AZ. But ouch. RT @BleacherNation: Crap. Cubs just lost Starling Peralta to Arizona.
Luke Blaize @ltblaize
@BleacherNation I did not think he’d be the first Cub taken.
View conversation
Ben Badler @BenBadler
Marlins take LHP Braulio Lara from the Rays. Control is raw but throws hard. Really like what the Marlins did today.
I wanted that to be the Cubs…
Goldstein Effect
Rondon looks like a potential starter eventually, but the injury thing is concerning. He has decent stats, but I guess we’ll see.
F’ing Diamondbacks. I’m beginning to hate them too.
Whats the chance the Cubs take another player in the next round? The draft is still 4 rounds or until nobody picks isn’t it?
It’s already over. We passed in the second round of the MLB portion.
We might take someone in the minor league portion, but I guarantee it won’t be anyone worth caring about even a little. Organizational filler.
It’s over. Cubs passed in Round Two, and only two teams (Astros and Marlins, of course) took two players.
I really wanted Hazlebaker but whatever
Apparently Rondon is a starter. That sucks.