Rule 5 Draft preview: Who might move?

Thursday brings a noteworthy event on the baseball calendar: the annual Rule 5 Draft. And it's really a day of dreams, when you think about it. Players who weren't protected on their clubs' 40-man rosters have the chance to be picked up by another organization and given immediate shots at the Majors.

In case you need a refresher on the Rule 5 system, here's how it works. There are two types of players eligible for the Draft: those who were signed when they were 19 or older and have been in pro ball for four years and those who signed when they 18 or younger and have been in pro ball for five years. A player can be protected from the Rule 5 Draft by being added to his club's 40-man roster before the deadline, which was midnight on Nov. 20. (Top prospects Miguel Sano, Noah Syndergaard and Blake Swihart were among those players protected before the deadline.)

When the Draft comes around, teams make their picks in reverse order of regular-season record -- this year's order can be found here -- although clubs are not forced to make selections. Only nine teams did so in 2013. If they do, they must pay $50,000 to the organization from which they select the player. That player must remain on the Major League 25-man roster for the entirety of the 2015 season (disabled list time excepted) or he is to be offered back to his former organization for $25,000. Of the nine players picked last year, only catcher Adrian Nieto (White Sox), right-hander Tommy Kanhle (Rockies) and left-hander Wei-Chung Wang (Brewers) stuck with their new clubs.

There also are Triple-A and Double-A editions of the Draft -- Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was famously picked in the latter in 2013 -- and more on the Rule 5 Draft can be read here.

---

• Rule 5 Draft FAQs and recent results and recent results »

---

In short, this is a chance for Major League squads to fill holes on their big league rosters without making large investments. That's why potential relievers, fourth outfielders or backup catchers tend to be popular picks. But every now and again, teams can hit home runs in the Rule 5 Draft. Roberto Clemente (Pirates), Johan Santana (Twins), Josh Hamilton (Reds) and Dan Uggla (Marlins) are some of the big names who stuck with their new clubs after being taken.

Here's a look at names that could come up in this year's Rule 5 Draft:

Delino DeShields, outfielder, Astros: DeShields is the most intriguing eligible name in this year's Rule 5 because of what he once was and indeed what he still is. The 22-year-old was taken eighth overall in the 2010 Draft out of high school and popped onto the scene in a big way two years later, when he stole 101 bases, hit 12 homers and put up a .287/.389/.428 line between Class A Lexington and Class A Advanced Lancaster. He became a Top 100 Prospect, ranking as high as No. 74 at the end of the 2013 campaign when he batted .317 with an .873 OPS and 51 steals for Lancaster.

DeShields' stock has since dropped -- he's now slotted in the No. 12 spot in the Astros system -- due in part to makeup concerns and also a relatively rough year at the plate that saw him bat .236 in 114 games for Double-A Corpus Christi. (His 2014 season also will be remembered for an unfortunate hit-by-pitch that caused his face to swell and got attention from national news outlets.) Still, he swiped 54 bases, giving him three consecutive seasons with 50 or more steals, and he did take his fair share of walks to produce a .346 on-base percentage. What's more, DeShields moved full-time from second base to the outfield, where his plus speed is a big asset. He played mostly in center in the Texas League but has played exclusively in left in the Puerto Rican Winter League, where he was batting .236 with a .349 OBP and eight steals in 21 games through Tuesday.

DeShields hasn't yet played above Double-A ball, but that won't scare away teams on Thursday. A selection of DeShields would be one for the future. He could be a speed option off the bench for a Major League club now with an eye at developing him into the quick, high-OBP leadoff type that is his ceiling.

Cody Martin, right-handed pitcher, Braves: It's a little bit of a head-scratcher that Martin is even on this list, to be honest. The 25-year-old right-hander enjoyed a successful season at Triple-A Gwinnett, where he posted a 3.52 ERA with 142 strikeouts and 56 walks over 156 innings. In 40 career appearances (225 2/3 innings) at the Minors' highest level, he has a 3.51 ERA, 8.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9. Those numbers won't knock you out of your chair, maybe, but they are certainly respectable and normally would point to 40-man protection.

Like anybody else, Martin's profile goes beyond the numbers, though, as his scouting grades don't exactly point to a dominant Major Leaguer. Only Martin's cutter was given an above-average grade (60), with his fastball, curve and changeup all coming out at 55 or lower. Still, his fastball and cutter could play up as a reliever, which he was during his time at Gonzaga University before the Braves transitioned him to a starter's role in 2012. The right-hander has little left to prove in Triple-A ball, and perhaps it'll be another club that gives Atlanta's No. 11 prospect his first shot at the bigs.

Sean Gilmartin, left-handed pitcher, Twins: In some ways, Gilmartin's story is similar to Martin's. The 2011 first-rounder raced through the Atlanta system, making it to Triple-A Gwinnett in his first full season. He hasn't been able to break through that level since 2012 and posted a 5.74 ERA in 17 Triple-A starts in 2013 before being traded to the Twins for Ryan Doumit last offseason. He split time between Double-A New Britain and Triple-A Rochester last summer, finding better success than in 2013, with a 3.71 ERA, 8.2 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 over 145 2/3 innings.

Like Martin, Gilmartin doesn't exactly have a plus pitch, but he might have some value to a team as a southpaw out of the bullpen. He held opposing left-handers to a .190 average at Triple-A last season and struck out 27 of the 87 batters he faced (a whopping 31 percent) while walking only three. Gilmartin has made just one Minor League appearance out of the bullpen, but the time might be now to make him a left-handed relief specialist, with the added bonus that he could provide rotation insurance as well.

Edgar De La Rosa, right-handed pitcher, Tigers: A team that might be looking at De La Rosa may be hoping to get a Dellin Betances starter kit, only to speed up the process of construction a little bit. Like Betances, De La Rosa stands 6-foot-8 and, according to Baseball America's J.J. Cooper, he can touch 100 mph with his fastball. Put together, both of those things should grab any team's attention. The native of the Dominican Republic's numbers (3.30 ERA, 91 strikeouts, 53 walks in 139 innings) don't quite look like he'd be a prime candidate to slide into the Majors, especially considering they came at the Class A Advanced level. But if the scouting is correct, De La Rosa might just have the stuff to become a powerful reliever right away -- if clubs are willing to gamble.

Henry Ramos, outfielder, Red Sox: Ramos checks in as the No. 19 prospect in a crowded Red Sox system, so that alone explains why he was left off the team's 40-man roster and is a decent candidate to be taken in the Rule 5 Draft. The 22-year-old switch-hitter batted .326 with a .799 OPS for Double-A Portland in 2014 but was limited to 48 games due to a stress fracture in his left leg. His average and OPS would have been career highs if stretched out to a full season, and if a club thinks that performance is more indicative of what's to come rather than just small sample noise, Ramos could be ripe for the picking. The Red Sox saw a similar situation play out when infielder Michael Almanzar was picked up by the Orioles in the 2013 Rule 5 Draft after a strong year in Portland. He was eventually returned to the Red Sox but was sent back to the O's in an August trade.

Jarlin Garcia, left-handed pitcher, Marlins: With Andrew Heaney, Justin Nicolino and Adam Conley each in the Marlins' top 10 and knocking down the door to the Majors, it's easy to forget about another left-hander in Garcia, who slots in at No. 11 and hasn't yet gotten out of Class A ball. But that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be forgotten in Thursday's Rule 5.

In fact, Garcia could be this year's version of Wang, who made it through the whole season with the Brewers after not pitching above the Gulf Coast League with the Pirates. The 21-year-old left-hander has a 60-grade fastball, per MLB.com, and can flash a curveball that's better than the 50 it received. He owned a 4.38 ERA with 111 strikeouts and only 21 walks over 133 2/3 innings as a starter last season, so his would be a Rule 5 pick to dream on rather than one to rely. Still, it's a chance to pick up a talented young pitcher for only $50,000, and that might be enough to entice a selection.

Some other names: Kaleb Cowart, a 2010 first-round pick, was at one time considered the top prospect in the Angels system. But a weak bat (.221 and .223 averages in Double-A in 2013 and 2014, respectively) hurt his stock and kept him from being protected. He's still a plus defender at third base, though. … Right-handed pitcher Jason Adam isn't a heavy strikeout guy, but his peripherals (3.57 FIP at Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2014) were always better than his ERA (5.03 at same stop) before the Royals, who were moving him to the bullpen, traded him to the Twins for Josh Willingham in July. … Right-hander J.R. Graham was at one point the Braves' top pitching prospect, but a shoulder injury in May 2013 set him back plenty. Although MLB.com has given him a 70-grade fastball that could be useful in the Majors, he put up a 5.55 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 71 1/3 innings at Double-A this season. … Outfielder Jared Mitchell, a 2009 White Sox first-round pick, has been stuck between Double-A and Triple-A for three straight seasons, but 2014 showed he might be meeting his potential. His .256/.362/.444/.806 line and 19 homers across the two levels were all career bests. He profiles as a backup outfielder and he could meet that potential as early as this season. ... D-backs left-handed reliever Patrick Schuster was taken first in the Rule 5 Draft by the Astros last year and then moved to San Diego, where he didn't stick, and was returned to the D-backs, who again chose not to protect him. He posted a 3.02 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 7.9 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 between Triple-A Reno and Double-A Mobile in 2014. Control concerns likely will scare away suitors this time around, but perhaps a team will give him another go as a lefty specialist.