December 9, 2010

Winter Meetings

Rule Five Wrap-Up

by Kevin Goldstein

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Just some quick notes from this morning's rule five draft.  I'll have more detailed reports on many of these players in a Ten Pack on Monday with my prediction of the selections most likely to stick.

• Pirates: Josh Rodriguez, UT (from Cleveland): One of the best players in that "Older, Triple-A Guy" category.  Rodriguez can play second and third at the big league level, shortstop in a pinch, and even some corner outfield.  He doesn't have a plus tool, but he has enough patience and gap power to stick.
• Mariners: Jose Flores, RHP (from Cleveland): Venezuelan right-hander has above-average velocity and pounds the strike zone, but has never pitched above Low-A and big leagues would be a shocking jump.
• Diamondbacks: Joe Paterson, LHP (from San Francisco): Will never impress on a stuff level; but has plenty of deception with lefties have real trouble picking up the ball while htting .216 against him in 2010.
• Orioles: Adrian Rosario, RHP (from Brewers): Long-limbed and projectable relief type with impressive stuff; but also a player who had trouble throwing strikes in Low-A.
• Royals: Nathan Adcock, RHP (from Pirates): Ex-Mariner who went to Pittsburgh in the Snell/Wilson deal; Throws downhill, throws strikes and is a heady pitcher, but not much in the way of stuff.
• Nationals: Elvin Ramirez, RHP (from Mets): One of the talks of the Dominican Winter League with 26 strikeouts and just four walks in 20.2 innings for Cibao; Plus-plus velocity, but no previous history of throwing strikes consistently.
• Cubs: Mason Tobin, RHP (from Angels): Thick right-hander showed plenty of promise early in career, but has been consistently waylaid by injuries since, including Tommy John surgery in 2009. When healthy, he could touch 95 mph and had an advanced changeup.
• Astros: Anuery Rodriguez, RHP (from Rays): Thought to be in the Pirates mix for the top pick, Rodriguez was another player who helped his stock in the Dominican with a series of dominating starts for the Toros del Este.  On a scouting level, he has few weaknesses or strengths as an average across the board type.
• Brewers: Patrick Egan, RHP (from Orioles): With the combination of a six-foot-eight frame and fantastic sink, he's put up some ridiculous ground ball rates, but an inability to miss bats gives some scouts pause as to his ability to succeed in the big leagues.
• Mets: Brad Emaus, UT (from Blue Jays): Kind of a lesser version of the top pick Rodriguez, only with no shortstop ability (not that Rodriguez is good there, either). Ceiling only of nice bench player, but might be there now.
• Padres: George Kontos, RHP (from Yankees): Moved to the bullpen in 2010 after some arm injuries; has size and velocity, but not much else.
• Twins: Scott Diamond, LHP (from Braves): Thought to be going to the Nationals (he had a fan in Roy Clark); Diamond has been described as a gutsy battler with plenty of poise on the mound, which is how scouts talk around the fact that he throws strikes but doesn't really have an out pitch.
• Yankees: Robert Fish, LHP (from Angels): The best combination of left-handedness and velocity available, Fish has a plus-plus fastball for a southpaw, but it's straight, he can't command it, and he doesn't have a second pitch.
• Rays: Cesar Cabral, LHP (from Red Sox): Long, left-handed and gets those of his ilk out; but has yet to solve High-A and is highly inconsistent.
• Phillies: Michael Martinez, UT (from Nationals): Small, fast Dominican has very aggressive approach at the plate but can surprise with gap power; biggest value comes defensively, as he's playable at six positions.
• Nationals: Brian Broderick, RHP (from Cardinals): Six-foot-six righty combines sink with nearly super-natural command; but that's the sum of his abilities as secondary pitches lag behind.
• Astros: Lance Pendleton, RHP (from Yankees): Overshadowed in the Yankees system, but a solid prospect with back-of-the-rotation possibilities; Average-to-plus velocity with deception and a strong power curveball has led to success at every level.
• Mets: Pedro Beato, RHP (from Orioles): Five years later, the Mets finally get their man after failing to sign him out of the 2005 draft; stuff is still well below draft-level, but he found some consistency and success this year as a two-pitch reliever.
• Yankees: Daniel Turpen, RHP (from Red Sox): Reliever with low-90s sinker finished strong in Arizona Fall League with eight straight scoreless appearances; most entertaining rumor of the day involves the Yankees selected him as a jab at Boston, with Turpen thought to be on the list of potential PTBNLs to San Diego in the Adrian Gonzalez deal.

Kevin Goldstein is an author of Baseball Prospectus. 
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