Every 2024 Rule 5 Draft pick, plus 1st-round analysis
DALLAS -- Arms were on the menu during Wednesday afternoon’s Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings. A total of 15 players were taken in the Major League phase of this year’s Rule 5 and 11 of them were pitchers. It started when the White Sox took right-hander Shane Smith
DALLAS -- Arms were on the menu during Wednesday afternoon’s Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings. A total of 15 players were taken in the Major League phase of this year’s Rule 5 and 11 of them were pitchers. It started when the White Sox took right-hander Shane Smith from the Brewers, and five of the first six selections all will try to make big league pitching staffs in the spring.
The Triple-A phase was particularly busy, with 68 total selections made. The 83 overall picks made were the most since the 2004 Rule 5 Draft.
Players who turned pro at age 18 or younger in 2020 or at age 19 or older in 2021 were eligible for selection in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft if he wasn't on a 40-man roster. Clubs who took a player in that phase must pay his former team $100,000 and keep him on their active big league roster throughout the following season. The player can't be sent to the Minors without first clearing waivers and then getting offered back to his original organization for half his draft price.
It costs $24,000 to take a player in the Triple-A phase, with no restrictions about where those players can be placed in 2025.
Smith, a Wake Forest product who signed with the Brewers as an undrafted free agent in July of 2021, will pitch all of the 2025 season at age 25. Injuries slowed him early in his career, but he had 10 saves and a 1.96 ERA in 38 relief appearances, reaching Double-A in 2023. He totaled 94 1/3 innings last season, getting time as both a starter and reliever, finishing with a combined 3.05 ERA, a .204 batting average against and 10.8 K/9 rate across Double- and Triple-A. He can miss bats with his 93-94 mph fastball and he has a distinct curve and slider, getting good extension and generally being around the strike zone (2.8 BB/9 last year).
“When we talked about him before the protection deadline we knew he was a really good pitcher, a high-character pitcher we’ve liked going back to college,” Brewers special assistant to scouting Bryan Gale said. “Anyone that’s seen him when he’s been healthy in pro baseball [sees that] he’s been successful and he’s gotten better every year. When you have to make a tough decision like that, you know there’s some risk of losing a really good player. Everyone is happy Shane will get this opportunity, and we’re all pulling for him.”
Liam Hicks was the No. 2 pick, and the one position player taken among the top half dozen, nabbed by the Marlins from the Tigers, who didn’t have him very long. A 2021 ninth-rounder out of Arkansas State, Hicks is a catcher whom the Tigers just acquired from the Rangers at this past year’s Trade Deadline. He’ll get the opportunity to serve as the Marlins’ backup receiver behind Nick Fortes.
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Major League phase
Round 1
1. White Sox: Shane Smith, RHP (from Brewers)
2. Marlins: Liam Hicks, C (Tigers)
3. Angels: Garrett McDaniels, LHP (Dodgers, now LAA No. 29)
4. Athletics: Noah Murdock, RHP (Royals)
5. Nationals: Evan Reifert, RHP (Rays, now WSH No. 26)
6. Blue Jays: Angel Bastardo, RHP (Red Sox, now TOR No. 29)
7. Reds: Cooper Bowman, 2B (was ATH No. 20, now CIN No. 26)
8. Rays: Nathan Lavender, LHP (Mets)
9. Twins: Eiberson Castellano, RHP (Phillies, now MIN No. 13)
10. Cubs: Gage Workman, 3B/SS (was DET No. 29, now CHC No. 29)
11. Braves: Anderson Pilar, RHP (Marlins)
12. Padres: Juan Nuñez, RHP (was BAL No. 8, now SD No. 11)
13. Brewers: Connor Thomas, LHP (Cardinals, now MIL No. 30)
14. Phillies: Mike Vasil, RHP (was Mets No. 18, traded to TB)
Round 2
15. Braves: Christian Cairo, SS (Guardians)
The run on pitching really got going after Hicks, with the Angels taking lefty Garrett McDaniels from the Dodgers, the A’s nabbing right-hander Noah Murdock from the Royals, the Nationals selecting Evan Reifert from the Rays and right-hander Angel Bastardo going from the Red Sox to the Blue Jays. McDaniels spent most of the year in A-ball, but finished it in Double-A, posting a combined 3.19 ERA, a .229 BAA and 10.3 K/9 rate. Like Smith, he was a 2021 undrafted free agent who signed while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
“He’s a good arm and can spin two breaking balls,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said about McDaniels. “He’s 94-95 mph with a good combination of strikeouts and ground balls. He was at a lower level but stuff is stuff, so we … felt like it was worth taking the shot. Left-handed relief is hard to get. There's a chance things work out and he makes the team, and he sticks, maybe starts down the road.”
Right-hander Juan Nuñez was the highest-ranked prospect taken in the Major League phase, with the Padres taking the Orioles’ No. 8 prospect. Another righty, Mike Vasil (Mets No. 18), was taken by the Phillies and traded to the Rays. Second baseman Cooper Bowman (A’s No. 20) and infielder Gage Workman (Tigers No. 29) were the other ranked prospects to change hands.
With the acquisition of Vasil, the Rays actually secured two Mets pitching prospects on Wednesday. The first was lefty Nathan Lavender, who appeared in just five games in 2024 due to an elbow injury that resulted in internal brace surgery. He’s slated to begin the year on the 60-day injured list.
“We’ve always liked him,” Rays assistant GM Kevin Ibach said. “I say this a lot when we execute trades, but we start history with a player coming out of the Draft, coming into professional baseball. With Nate, it was a left-handed arm that we liked a lot. Multiple pitches to get guys out, like the fastball, like the deception that he provides from the left-hand side.
“Obviously would like a healthy version of the player, but this was an opportunity to get someone that we can take over the throwing program, get him into Spring Training and develop under our hood until he’s ready to take the mound again.”
If Vasil sticks, it will be because he could potentially fill different roles. He’s largely started in his career, but don’t be surprised if the Rays employ him in different ways.
“The versatility he provides with that profile is probably what’s most appealing for him,” Ibach said. “There are a lot of different ways he can impact a 26-man roster, more so than just a traditional reliever.”
The Braves joined the Rays as the only team to acquire two players, taking righty Anderson Pillar from the Marlins and making the only Round 2 selection when they took infielder Christian Cairo from the Guardians. Other than the Mets, the Tigers were the only team to lose more than one player in the Major League phase, and both were position players in Hicks and Workman.
Minor League phase
Round 1
1. White Sox: Joseph Yabbour, RHP (Mets Single-A)
2. Rockies: Tyler Burch, RHP (Orioles Double-A)
3. Marlins: Ricky DeVito, RHP (Rangers Double-A)
4. Angels: Gustavo Rodriguez, RHP (A's Double-A)
5. Athletics: Henry Gomez, RHP (Cardinals Single-A)
6. Nationals: Hyun-il Choi, RHP (Dodgers Double-A)
7. Blue Jays: Richard Gallardo, RHP (Cubs Double-A)
8. Pirates: Franck De La Rosa, RHP (Athletics Double-A)
9. Reds: Joel Valdez, LHP (Yankees High-A)
10. Giants: CJ Widger, LHP (Padres Double-A)
11. Rays: Dan Hammer, RHP (Orioles Double-A)
12. Red Sox: Hobie Harris, RHP (Mets Double-A)
13. Twins: Trent Baker, RHP (Cardinals Double-A)
14. Cardinals: Oddanier Mosqueda, LHP (Yankees Double-A)
15. Cubs: William Jensen, RHP (Giants Double-A)
16. Mariners: Cesar Quintas, OF (Giants Double-A)
17. Royals: Bryan Gonzalez, OF (Red Sox Double-A)
18. Tigers: Junior Tilien, SS (Mets High-A)
19. Astros: Julio Rodriguez, RHP (Giants Double-A)
20. Mets: Michael Hobbs, RHP (Dodgers Double-A)
21. D-backs: Drake Osborn, C (Mets Double-A)
22. Braves: Blane Abeyta, RHP (Yankees High-A)
23. Guardians: Will Wilson, SS (Giants Double-A)
24. Padres: Eiker Huizi, RHP (Tigers High-A)
25. Brewers: Garrett Spain, OF (Blue Jays Double-A)
26. Yankees: Luis Durango, OF (Guardians Single-A)
27. Phillies: Eduardo Lopez, OF (Red Sox High-A)
28. Dodgers: John Rhodes, OF (Orioles Double-A)
Round 2
29. Rockies: Jose Torres, SS (Reds Double-A)
30. Marlins: Jack Winkler, SS (Athletics Double-A)
31. Angels: Josh Crouch, C (Tigers Double-A)
32. Blue Jays: Jacob Wetzel, OF (Cubs High-A)
33. Pirates: Aaron McKeithan, C (Cardinals Double-A)
34. Reds: Brandon Komar, RHP (Cardinals Double-A)
35. Giants: Sadrac Franco, RHP (Tigers Single-A)
36. Red Sox: Darvin Garcia, RHP (Pirates High-A)
37. Twins: Miguel Briceno, SS (Brewers Double-A)
38. Cardinals: Angel Gonzalez, RHP (Cubs High-A)
39. Cubs: Nolan Clenney, RHP (Mets Double-A)
40. Mariners: Taylor Floyd, RHP (Twins Double-A)
41. Royals: Landon Marceaux, RHP (Mets Single-A)
42. Astros: Jean Pinto, RHP (Orioles Double-A)
43. Braves: Samuel Mejia, RHP (Rays Single-A)
44. Padres: Jake Snider, OF (Rockies High-A)
45. Brewers: Zachary Peek, RHP (Orioles Double-A)
46. Phillies: Enmanuel Mejia, RHP (Rays Double-A)
Round 3
47. Orlando Ortiz-Mayr, RHP (Dodgers Double-A)
48. Pirates: Randy Labaut, LHP (Guardians Double-A)
49. Red Sox: Manuel Medina, LHP (Marlins Single-A)
50. Twins: Jefferson Valladares, C (Dodgers Complex League)
51. Cardinals: Jawilme Ramirez, RHP (Mets High-A)
52. Cubs: Robert Kwiatkowski, RHP (Red Sox Double-A)
53. Mariners: Adam Leverett, RHP (Rays Double-A)
54. Astros: Anderson Bido, RHP (Rockies Double-A)
55. Braves: Lizandro Espinoza, SS (Cardinals Single-A)
56. Padres: Andy Thomas, C (Giants Double-A)
57. Phillies: Agusto Calderon, RHP (Cardinals Single-A)
Round 4
58. Pirates: Steve Hajjar, LHP (Guardians Double-A)
59. Red Sox: Jack Anderson, RHP (Tigers Double-A)
60. Cardinals: Miguel Ugueto, OF (Red Sox High-A)
61. Mariners: Matt Cronin, LHP (Nationals Double-A)
62. Astros: Jack Blomgren, SS (Rockies High-A)
63. Braves: Dylan Shockley, C (Pirates Double-A)
64: Phillies: Elio Prado, OF (Orioles High-A)
Round 5
65: Pirates: Joel Mendez, OF (Yankees Complex League)
66. Astros: Nick Swiney, LHP (Giants Double-A)
67. Phillies: Gabriel Barbosa, RHP (Yankees Single-A)
Round 6
68. Phillies: Isaias Dipre, INF (Pirates DSL)
Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLBPipeline.com. Follow him on Facebook and @JonathanMayo, and listen to him on the weekly MLB Pipeline Podcast.
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