Indians could choose to participate in the Rule 5 draft since they have one open spot on the roster. Of course they could also keep the spot open for FA signing or a trade acquisition.
Here's latest BA Rule 5 preview in the lead-up to 9 a.m. PT on Dec. 13 when the Baltimore Orioles will announce the first pick in the Rule 5 draft, but here is our third update.
Teams must have an open 40-man roster spot to pick a player in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 draft. As of Friday, Dec. 7 seven teams had full rosters (Braves, Dodgers, Marlins, Yankees, Pirates, Padres and Rays) although teams have until the morning of Dec. 13 to clear roster space for the Rule 5 draft.
The 2018 MLB Rule 5 draft order: Indians are No. 23 but 5 teams ahead of them have full rosters.
Won't bore you with the whole list of sort of interesting players available that BA lists. Here's the link:
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... view-v-10/
Among them is LHP Rob Kaminsky who I was surprised the Indians didn't protect
Kaminsky has had trouble staying healthy recently. He sprained his elbow ligament in 2017, although he was able to rehab it without surgery. He then missed the first half of the 2018 season with an abdomen strain. But he was back on the mound to
pitch effectively at high Class A Lynchburg, Double-A Akron and in the Arizona Fall League after he shook off some initial rust (he walked seven of 11 batters he faced over two late-June outings and then allowed only 13 walks over his next 35 innings. The Cardinals' 2013 first-round pick now throws from a low slot that makes his
low 90s fastball and mid-80s slider effective in same-side matchups. He
held lefties to a .188/.250/.271 line at Akron.
Since we're still collecting mediocre outfield talent, here's what's on offer in Rule 5:
Fourth Outfielders
It's unrealistic to think that any outfielder picked in the Rule 5 draft is going to step in and be a regular (although it has happened in the cases of Odubel Herrera and Josh Hamilton). So usually Rule 5 outfielders are versatile outfielders who can play a variety of positions as a backup.
Alec Keller, OF, Nationals
Keller hit .337/.393/.446 between high Class A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg last season. He's primarily a corner outfielder, although a team picking him is likely going to want to try to see if he can play center well enough to be a true outfielder. Keller's tools are a little limited compared to some of the other guys on this list, but he has 400 Double-A at-bats and has consistently gotten on-base, albeit with very little power.
Michael Gettys, OF, Padres
Gettys still has the power and speed that enamored the Padres when they took him in the second round in 2014. But those positives have been buried under an avalanche of strikeouts. Gettys can play an excellent center field and his plus arm holds baserunners at bay. When he connects he can also drive the ball. But he has never connected enough to let his outstanding tools play. A team in need of a backup center fielder could sniff around, but there are players with similar profiles on the edges of 40-man rosters at the end of spring training.
Drew Ferguson, OF, Astros
A fractured wrist cost Ferguson two months last year, but when he was on the field he did what he usually does by hitting for average and getting on-base. Ferguson doesn't match the upside of some other players on this list, but he does a lot of little things well. He can play all three outfield spots, does an excellent job of working counts and generally fits the profile of a fourth outfielder. The 26-year-old has nearly 700 at-bats at Double-A and Triple-A.
Rafael Bautista, OF, Nationals
If not for a significant knee injury, Bautista would have a decent case for a team looking for a backup outfielder to play defense and pinch run. Bautista has actually filled that role briefly in D.C. before in 2016 and 2017. His talents are less useful to a Nationals team that already has Victor Robles, and Bautista has plenty of injury issues on his resume. But when healthy, he's been an outstanding basestealing threat with three seasons of more than 40 steals and he covers plenty of ground in center field.
And we certainly could use some more depth in the bullpen so some of these guys are conceivable pickups:
Hard-Throwing Relievers
Nowadays almost all relievers are hard-throwing relievers, but the allure of drafting a 100-mph fireballer is less than it used to be. Nowadays every team has numerous relievers with a mid-to-high 90s fastball and sometimes a second pitch. That said, teams still will at least consider the chance to land a power arm.
Junior Fernandez, RHP, Cardinals
Fernandez didn't throw as consistently hard in 2018 as he has in the past. He's also had a long list of injuries and has yet to develop the secondary pitches to give him survival skills in the major leagues. All of that makes it unlikely he'll get picked and less likely he'll stick, but he does have a very good arm.
Roel Ramirez, RHP, Cardinals
Ramirez was sent to the Cardinals in last season's Tommy Pham trade. He has had modest Double-A success (2.95 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 9.8 K/9) to go with massive stuff that includes a high-90s mph fastball.
Ronald Pena, RHP, Nationals
Pena has been a late-bloomer, but he made significant strides in 2018 as he pitched in the high Class A Carolina League all-star game and was promoted to Double-A for the second half of the season. He's touched 100 mph and generally works in the high 90s with a power slider that earns average and above-average grades. Pena's control suffered after his bump to Double-A, but he continued to strike out more than a batter an inning, so the 27-year-old might entice a team, although his still fringy control will urge caution.
Jose Moreno, RHP, Mets
Moreno missed all of 2016, so his development has been slowed, which explains why he's Rule 5 eligible before he's ever reached full season ball. He has an excellent arm and a good frame, but pitchers don't jump from the Appalachian League to the big leagues, even in the Rule 5 draft.
Jordan Guerrero, RHP, Padres
There are two Rule 5 eligible Jordan Guerrero's which will make for some significant confusion. The righthanded Guerrero is a 22-year-old righthander who was a sixth-round pick of the Padres in 2015 out of Polk State (Fla.) JC. Guerrero has long had a high-octane fastball, but he has zero upper-level experience. Guerrero struggled with his control in a return to low Class A Fort Wayne (and was suspended for a national anthem staredown). He's massive (close to 300 pounds), but he finished the season by throwing 22 scoreless outings for short-season Tri-City as he allowed only nine hits in 22.1 innings. He sits in the upper 90s and has touched 100 mph while trying to blow hitters away.
Diogenes Almengo, RHP, Orioles
Almengo was released by the Astros last winter after four seasons in rookie ball and short-season. The Orioles picked him up, held him back in extended spring training but then watched him graduate from the New York-Penn League to the South Atlantic League, where he finished the season by striking out 19 in 14.1 innings. He has a big high-90s fastball and a quality changeup but he's far, far away and doesn't have a usable breaking ball.
Aneurys Zabala, RHP, Reds
Acquired from the Dodgers in last July's Dylan Floro trade, Zabala has long lit up radar guns but he hasn't had results to match the velocity. He's yet to pitch above low Class A and he has control issues (5.7 BB/9 and only 7.3 K/9 in 2018).
Johan Quezada, RHP, Twins
Quezada has 9.2 innings of experience in full season ball, so he's a reasonable risk to leave unprotected. But Quezada has a big arm and is showing signs of figuring out his control. It's hard to see him being picked or sticking on an MLB roster even as a stashed player, but he's a promising arm.
Stetson Allie, RHP, Dodgers and
ST. EDWARD'S HIGH SCHOOL
A 2010 first-round pick of the Pirates, Allie switched from pitching to hitting in 2012, leaving a trail of dented backstops in his wake. But when being a power hitter didn't work out, he moved back to the mound in 2017. He still has near bottom-of-the-scale control, but Allie does have one of the best arms in baseball. He can sit 98-99 mph with his fastball and mixes in a hard slider. He actually has some feel too, as he'll mess with hitter's timing, but his best weapon is the fear batters have because his scattershot control means any pitch could accidentally be heading right at them.
Hector Lujan, RHP, Twins
Lujan hasn't pitched above high Class A, but he has had success (5-5, 2.65 with 8.5 K/9, 2.8 BB/9) and he showed a 94-96 mph fastball and a hard slider in the Arizona Fall League.