Dec 9th: Rule 5 Draft - The Potential Giants Losses

The Rule 5 draft is coming up on December 9th. The Giants have previously made a couple of roster moves to protect highly regarded prospects RHP Jose Casilla (Santiago's brother), Steve Edlefsen and LHP Clayton Tanner. The G-men previously added OF Thomas Neal and SS Ehire Adrianza.

They are still likely to lose a prospect or two that cannot be protected.

First a little bit of background information. The Rule 5 draft was implemented to prevent wealthier teams from stockpiling prospects who are blocked from advancing by more talented prospects. If a players is a bona-fide major league prospect but the organization has a star at that position, the player is said to be "blocked" from advancing by that player. The Rule 5 Draft allows another organization to draft that player, pay a fee to the other organization and acquire the players services. It serves as a vehicle to redistribute or re-balance talented players somewhat.

All of the guys in the picture above were acquired via the Rule 5 Draft process.

If a team selects a players in the ML portion of the draft, they have to to 'use him or lose him'. If a team does not keep the player on their 40-man roster by a certain date, they may be selected by another team in this draft with a payment of $50,000. They must also keep the player on their active, 25-man roster all season, or offer the player back to their original team for $25,000.

Not all prospects are eligible for the rule 5 Draft until they meet certain service requirements. The deadline for eligibility is after four seasons in the system for players signed at the age of 19 or over (which includes most college draftees), or after five seasons in the system for players signed at the age of 18 or younger (which includes most HS players and INTL signings).

Players selected and signed in the 2007 draft, or HS players schoolers taken and signed in the 2006 draft, are among those becoming eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for first time this year.

The most likely Giants Rule 5 Prospects:

Among the pitchers:

LHP Joe Patterson
LHP Craig Clark
RHP Kyle Nicholson
RHP Danny Otero

All have show enough flashes to be marked as serious prospects but at the same time bouts of inconsistency red-flags that have slowed their progress through the system. The lefties are at most risk of being taken simply because LHP is always at a premium and teams attempt to find serviceable arms wherever and whenever they can.

Among the position players:

2B Brock Bond
C Jackson Williams
1B Brett Pill
CF Ben Copeland
C Johnny Morrell
CF Wendell Fairley

All of these guys are either solid one-tool guys who could contribute to a roster on that basis or are blocked from advancing within this organization due to numbers. Williams is a solid defender who has not hit enough to stick. Same perhaps with Bond and Morrell, although Morrell is more bat than glove. Copeland is getting up in years and expendable with Gary Brown around in CF. Pill is hurt by the fast rising Brandon Belt. Wendell Fairley never lived up to his initial hype, some organization has to be in a gambling mood.

Giants could very well lose two pitchers (the LHP's) and two position players this time around. The good news is that due to the recent string of successful drafts, the organization is now deep enough to weather this winter prospect raid.