Here are 15 intriguing names for the Rule 5 Draft
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LAS VEGAS -- Below is a list of some players who could be picked in the Major League phase of Thursday's Rule 5 Draft, which takes place at noon ET, with a live audio stream on MLB.com.
Players first signed at age 18 must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 Draft process. Players signed at age 19 or older have to be protected within four seasons. Clubs pay $100,000 to select a player in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. If that player doesn't stay on the 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $50,000.
:: 2018 Rule 5 Draft coverage ::
For this year, that means an international or high school Draft pick signed in 2014 -- assuming he was 18 or younger as of June 5 of that year -- has to be protected. A college player taken in the '15 Draft is in the same position.
Here is a list of names to watch:
2018 Rule 5 Draft order
Wes Benjamin, LHP, Rangers: The 25-year-old lefty was taken by the Rangers in the fifth round of the 2014 Draft out of Kansas even though he had undergone Tommy John surgery and the Rangers really didn't get a true look at him until 2016. He spent the year in Double-A in 2018 and pitched capably, though he missed a month and a half on the disabled list.
Travis Bergen, LHP, Blue Jays: The left-handed reliever missed a tremendous amount of time in 2015-17 with elbow issues that resulted in Tommy John surgery in August 2016. But he bounced back by pitching his way to Double-A in 2018, finishing with a 0.95 ERA, .200 batting average against and an 11.8 K/9 rate.
Junior Fernandez, RHP, Cardinals' No. 14 prospect: Fernandez moved full-time to a bullpen role in 2018, a season that didn't start for him until June because of arm tenderness. He still has a premium fastball that gets to the upper-90s, but he doesn't miss as many bats as you'd think (7.0 K/9 in 2018).
Riley Ferrell, RHP, Astros' No. 17 prospect: Another strong-armed right-hander with the kind of velocity teams like in the Rule 5 Draft as potential bullpen pieces, Ferrell was tough to hit in Double-A in 2018 (.171 BAA, 12.5 K/9). But he struggled with a promotion to Triple-A and has had difficulty throwing strikes (4.3 BB/9) in his career.
Jake Gatewood, 1B, Brewers' No. 10 prospect: Recovering from a torn ACL, Gatewood could get selected and put on the 60-day DL and given time to rehab the injury before having to be on a big league roster. His power, and swing and miss, are legitimate, but he could potentially DH, play first and maybe even an outfield corner once he's healthy.
Foster Griffin, LHP, Royals' No. 29 prospect: Griffin was the Royals' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2017, then regressed last year (5.13 ERA, .315 BAA), though he threw better down the stretch (3.51 ERA over his final 12 outings). He's been durable and could be a No. 5 starter option.
Taylor Guilbeau, LHP, Nationals: Guilbeau moved to a full-time relief role in 2018 with positive results in the Carolina League. Of more interest to teams might be his .184 BAA against left-handed hitters during the season and that he impressed many against a higher level of competition in the Arizona Fall League.
Drew Jackson, 2B/SS, Dodgers' No. 19 prospect: The Stanford product was taken by the Mariners in the fifth round of the 2015 Draft, then dealt to the Dodgers in March 2017. He can run (22 steals in 2018) and really throw, and has now seen time at two middle-infield positions along with a handful of games at third and in the outfield. He's also coming off his best full season offensively (15 HR, .804 OPS).
Tyler Jay, LHP, Twin's No. 22 prospect: After closing at Illinois and going No. 6 overall in the 2015 Draft, Jay gave starting a try, but went back to the bullpen in 2017 as injuries kept him from the mound. He was up-and-down last year, but some might look to add a lefty reliever with more than two pitches when healthy.
Erick Leal, RHP, Cubs: Leal hasn't pitched above Class A, but he put his name on the map in the Arizona Fall League this year by putting up 17 1/3 scoreless innings to start his stint there. He's pitched both as a starter and a reliever, which does add to his potential value.
Richie Martin, SS, A's No. 12 prospect: Taken No. 20 overall out of the University of Florida in 2015, Martin is coming off of his best season as a pro, hitting .300 and stealing 25 bases in Double-A. He's largely been a shortstop, but saw time at second in 2018, and that flexibility only adds to his value.
Jon Olczak, RHP, Brewers: The North Carolina State product is coming off of a very strong season, spent largely in Double-A. A Southern League All-Star as a result, the right-hander finished with a 1.39 ERA, 1.86 BAA and a 9.7 K/9 rate during the year, then finished things off with a strong showing in the AFL.
Jake Reed, RHP, Twins: Reed was eligible last year, as a 2014 college draftee, but wasn't taken. He's eligible again after a strong year in Triple-A that saw him finish with a 1.89 ERA and .204 BAA.
Zach Thompson, RHP, White Sox: A starter to begin his pro career, Thompson moved to the bullpen in 2017 and it stuck. The right-hander posted a 1.55 ERA and reached Double-A in 2018 while striking out 9.1/9. That continued in the AFL (2.70 ERA, 10.1 K/9).
Kean Wong, 2B/OF, Rays: Kolten's brother has always hit, including a .282 average in Triple-A in 2018, though there's not a ton of power there and he doesn't draw a ton of walks. He did play second, third and the outfield during the season.
Here's a list of all 30 teams' Top 30 Prospects who are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft:
Arizona Diamondbacks
- Marcus Wilson, OF
- Alex Young, LHP
- Cody Reed, LHP
Atlanta Braves - Travis Demeritte, OF
- Josh Graham, RHP
Baltimore Orioles - Luis Gonzalez, LHP
Boston Red Sox - Josh Ockimey, 1B
- Jhonathan Diaz, LHP
- Roldani Baldwin, C
- Roniel Raudes, RHP
Chicago Cubs - Trevor Clifton, RHP
- Jhonny Pereda, C
- Erling Moreno, RHP
Chicago White Sox - Spencer Adams, RHP
Cincinnati Reds - Michael Beltre, OF
Cleveland Indians - Oscar Gonzalez, OF
Colorado Rockies - Breiling Eusebio, LHP
- Roberto Ramos, 1B
- Brian Mundell, 1B
- Dom Nunez, C
Detroit Tigers - Jose Azocar, OF
- Tyler Alexander, LHP
- Derek Hill, OF
Houston Astros - Riley Ferrell, RHP
- Jonathan Arauz, SS
Kansas City Royals - Elvis Luciano, RHP
- D.J. Burt, SS
- Foster Griffin, LHP
- Ofreidy Gomez, RHP
Los Angeles Angels - Leonardo Rivas, SS
- Luis Pena, RHP
- Joe Gatto, RHP
Los Angeles Dodgers - Drew Jackson, SS
- Cristian Santana, SS
- Andrew Sopko, RHP
Miami Marlins - Christopher Torres, SS
- Brayan Hernandez, CF
- McKenzie Mills, LHP
Milwaukee Brewers - Jake Gatewood, 1B
- Cody Ponce, RHP
- Carlos Herrera, RHP
Minnesota Twins - Lewin Diaz, RF
- Tyler Jay, LHP
New York Mets - Luis Carpio, SS
- David Thompson, 3B
- Ali Sanchez, C
- Patrick Mazeika, C
New York Yankees - Dermis Garcia, 1B/3B
Oakland A's - Richie Martin, SS
- James Naile, RHP
Philadelphia Phillies - Daniel Brito, SS
- Jose Gomez, SS
- Thomas Eshelman, RHP
Pittsburgh Pirates - Gage Hinsz, RHP
- Brandon Waddell, LHP
- Domingo Robles, LHP
San Diego Padres
None
San Francisco Giants - Sandro Fabian, OF
- Juan De Paula, RHP
- Jordan Johnson, RHP
Seattle Mariners - Art Warren, RHP
- Rob Whalen, RHP
- Ian Miller, OF
- Anthony Jimenez, OF
- Luis Liberato, OF
- Ronald Rosario, OF
- Anthony Misiewicz, LHP
St. Louis Cardinals - Max Schrock, 2B
- Junior Fernandez, RHP
- Wadye Ynfante, OF
Tampa Bay Rays
None
Texas Rangers - Pedro Gonzalez, OF
- Edgar Arredondo, RHP
Toronto Blue Jays - Forrest Wall, OF
- Jordan Romano, RHP
Washington Nationals - Telmito Agustin, OF
- Tomas Alastre, RHP
- José Marmolejos, 1B/OF
- Drew Ward, 3B/1B