Rule 5 Draft Preview

Tomorrow is the 2009 Rule 5 Draft. Every year, players that meet certain Rule 5 requirements could be lost by each organization and drafted into a different organization. Let's start with an overview of some of the rules for the draft:

• The Rule 5 draft has been a staple of the Winter Meetings Since it started.
• Major league teams must protect player on their 40-man rosters within 3 or 4 years of their original signing.
• Those left unprotected are available for other teams to select.
• Players who were 18 or younger on June 5 before the signing of their first contract must be protected after 4 minor league seasons.
• Players 19 and older must be protected after 3 seasons.
• Each Rule 5 pick must be kept in the big leagues the entire following season, or they will be offered back to their former team for half of the $50,000 selecting price.
• Teams had to add player to their 40 man roster by November 20 to protect them from the draft.
• Teams select in reverse order of that season's finish.
• AA and AAA sections of the Rule 5 drafts cost teams $4,000 and 12,000 respectively to pick.
• Roberto Clemente is the only Rule 5 draft pick to go on to become a Hall of Famer.

Now let's take a look at what the Cubs have done in the draft in recent years:

• 2008- Lost Donald Veal to Pittsburgh
• 2008- Traded for David Patton after he was drafted by Cincinnati from Colorado. Patton would spend all of 2009 with the Cubs.
• 2007- Traded for Tim Lahey after he was drafted by Tampa Bay from Minnesota. Claimed off waivers by the Phillies on March 28, returned to Minnesota on April 12.
• 2007- Lost Randy Wells to Toronto, but he was returned on April 16.
• 2006- Drafted Josh Hamilton from the Tampa Bay Rays. He was later traded to Cincinnati for cash.
• 2006- Lost Edward Campusano to Milwaukee. Eventually was returned to the Cubs on October 10, 2007
• 2006- Lost Lincoln Holdzkom to Houston, but he was returned to the Cubs on March 11.
• 2006- Lost Jason Smith to Toronto
• 2005- Lost Juan Mateo to St. Louis
• 2004- Lost Andrew Sisco to Kansas City
• 2004- Lost Luke Hagerty to Baltimore
• 1980- In the best Cubs Rule 5 Pick up ever, they drafted Jody Davis from St. Louis. Davis would go on to win a gold glove and make two All Star teams.

So big names, like Davis and Hamilton, can be drafted in the Rule V. Who are the Cubs at risk of losing this year?

• Matt Camp, INF/OF: .282 AVG in 98 games at AAA this season
• Steve Clevenger, C: .265 AVG in 67 games at AAA, .364 AVG in 26 games at AA
• Alessandro Maestri, P: 4-2 with 3.69 ERA in 54 games at AA in 2009
• Thomas Diamond P: Picked up by the Cubs late in the season. Playing well in Mexican Winter League
• J.R. Mathes, P: 12-8 wti a 3.62 ERA in 26 games (21 starts) for AAA Iowa
• Greg Reinhard, P: 2-4 with a 5.38 ERA in 41 games (5 starts) at AAA Iowa

The Cubs left these guy out there when they protected John Gaub, Blake Parker, Rafael Dolis, Welington Castillo, and James Adduci on November 20. The Cubs will not feel heartbroken if they lose any of those guys, although there was some surprise that Camp and Diamond were left unprotected.

Draft Order

• 1. Nationals
• 2. Pirates
• 3. Orioles
• 4. Royals
• 5. Indians
• 6. D'backs
• 7. Mets
• 8. Astros
• 9. Padres
• 10. Athletics
• 11. Blue Jays
• 12. Reds
• 13. White Sox
• 14. Brewers
• 15. Cubs
• And so on...

Any team can take a pick in the draft, but no team is forced to.

I'll post a recap sometime after the draft...