Cabral Selected by Rays in Rule 5 Draft

2009 Lowell Spinners pitcher Cesar Cabral was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft. Cabral, who is now on the Rays 40-man roster, must stay on the Rays 25-man roster for the entire 2011 season or be offered back to the Red Sox.

Cabral was a member of the Spinners starting rotation of the 2009 Stedler Division Champion squad, often alternating between starting and being used as a piggy-back starter.

In 15 appearances (9 starts) Cabral compiled a tough-luck 1-6 record and four saves, with a 4.03 ERA. He allowed just two home runs over 60.1 innings pitched and posted a stellar 47:17 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Cabral was even more impressive in 2010, starting the season with the Low-A Greenville Drive before earning a mid-season promotion to Hi-A Salem.

With Greenville, Cabral was nearly unhittable, posting a sparkling 0.29 ERA, allowing just one run over 31.1 innings pitched. He struck out 35 while walking just seven, being named to the South Atlantic League All-Star team.

He initially continued his success with Salem before running into trouble, finishing the year with a 5.81 ERA, though still maintaining a stellar 45:14 strikeout-to-walk mark.

Just 21 years old and left-handed, Cabral has a legitimate chance to earn a spot in the Rays bullpen, which will be completely overhauled come Opening Day.