The Rule V draft is coming

December 3, 2008

On December 11th the Rule V Draft will be held.

To refresh your memory, the Rule V Draft is of minor league players that were not added to the 40 man roster of the Major League club and that have:
a) played 4 years since signing their initial contract if they were signed out of high school or signed as an international free agent.
b) played 3 years since being signed out of college in the draft.

Any player picked up must be kept on the ML roster for the entire season or offered back to the team they were drafted from for $25,000.

Last season the Padres picked up 3 players in the Rule V draft. Two directly, utility man Callix Crabbe from the Milwaukee Brewers and RHP Michael Gardner from the New York Yankees; and one via trade with the Florida Marlins, RHP Carlos Guevara.

Crabbe and Gardner were returned to their original teams and Guevara was purchased from the Reds so he could be sent down to AAA without returning to them.

This season could again be one where the Padres are major players in the Rule V draft.

Sandy Alderson said in an interview on XX Radio today that the Padres would be going after bullpen depth in the draft.

Marc Hulet over at Baseball Analysts did a great piece on the pitchers available in the 2008 Rule V draft.

It would be my guess that if they are available, the Padres will go after more than one pitcher, possibly including Eduardo Morlan or Chris Mason from the Tampa Bay Rays organization and Donald Veal from the Cubs.

I have had my say. Now what do you think?