For the Cubs it could have been worse. It also could have been better. Yes, every once in a while your club hits on a Hector Rondon, or loses a Marwin Gonzalez, but in the end the Rule 5 Draft rarely has a significant impact on the fortunes of a club.

For the players involved though, the chance provided can be significant. Do not underestimate the opportunity, not just for Major League playing time, but MLB salary, coaching and support staff as well. Minor Leaguers are famously underpaid. For a fringe prospect such as Pedro Araujo (Orioles), the only player the Cubs lost in the MLB portion of the draft, even the minimum salary he can earn residing on the Orioles 25 man roster this season may be the most significant money he sees during his professional career.

As for Araujo's chances of sticking with the O's? I think they are pretty decent. Baltimore is in the midst of rebuilding their pen, with more potential upheaval in the works should they choose to deal Zack Britton. Despite pitching just one game above the Advanced-A level this season, the powerfully built righty possesses a plus curve ball that helped him achieve terrific strike out numbers with Myrtle Beach (32.4 K%), numbers well in line with his career marks, so it was not a fluke. Set to become a 6 year Minor League Free Agent heading into this offseason, the Cubs choose to offer Araujo a successor contract and then invited him to attend the Arizona Fall League, where he continued his breakout campaign, striking out 15 hitters (against just 2 walks) in 10.1 innings while posting a 1.74 ERA.

While his breaking ball is a legitimate out pitch, potentially even at the MLB level, Araujo offers a lower ceiling than some of the relievers chosen during the draft. While he has improved his control significantly, his command still lags behind. His curve is good enough that he can get away with it, especially at the Minor League level, but his average fastball (91-94) may not be. In all likelihood Araujo tops out as a middle reliever long term, but does offer a relatively high floor as well. At worst, he seems like a good bet to be a solid depth option between Baltimore and their AAA affiliate for a few years beyond 2018.

In the Minor League phase of the draft, the Cubs lost three additional players. If you required further evidence of the depth of the Cubs system, here you go. The top of the Cubs system may have been stripped in recent years due to graduation and trades, but few organizations can match the Cubs depth of potential MLB contributors, even if those contributions may be of more modest variety. Only a handful of teams lost as many players on Thursday as the Cubs.

It also points to the emphasis the Cubs place on character and work ethic in their organizational approach. Two of the players the Cubs lost, Alberto Mineo (Blue Jays) and Andrew Ely (Mets), are not even among the most talented of the organization's strong mid-tier of prospects. But they are great teammates, have shown a willingness to accept any role they have been given, and then produce when ever those opportunities arise.

For some insight into the class and personality of the Italian-born Mineo, take a look back at the wonderful profile Tom posted back in August. He has received high marks for his work with the pitching staffs in the lower levels, and as a fluent speaker in not just Italian and English, but also Spanish, he is a valuable resource as a translator for young Hispanic players. He can also hit a little bit as well. His career didn't get off to the start he may have hoped, but things began clicking for the lefty in 2017. In his second stint with South Bend he proved to be one of the club's steadiest contributors with a .278/.374/.358 batting line. What he lacks in power (0 home runs), he makes up for with a solid approach (11.6 BB% and 16.3 K%).

As for Andrew Ely, the left hand hitting utility man has entered the past two seasons below the radar and without a clear starting role, but by the end of each year he has carved out a niche and been a steady contributor, first for South Bend and Myrtle Beach in 2016, then Tennessee in 2017. Mostly a middle infielder, Ely has contributed strong defense at both spots, as well as filling in at 3B and occasionally in the outfield whenever the need arose. And while his D may be his most valuable tool, he has posted a solid .261/.335/.364 career batting line, including a career-best .356 OBP in AA last season.

The third and final player lost during the Minor League phase of the draft was hard throwing lefty Chris Nunn. A former San Diego prospect drafted during the Jed Hoyer's time there, Nunn had been pitching in Independent ball in 2017 prior to signing with the Cubs late in the season, where he made four fill in starts for Tennessee as the season wound down and the Cubs choose to limit the innings of several prospects. Walks have always been an issue for Nunn, and his brief tenure with the Cubs did not appear any different (13.2 BB%) but when healthy and around the plate there is potential MLB stuff. The Cubs have secured left handed bullpen depth for Iowa this season (Dario Alvarez, Randy Rosario, Alberto Baldanado) but Nunn could have joined Rob Zastryzny as a potentially valuable swing man for Tennessee or Iowa. Unless the team chooses to repeat Baldanado at AA, the only left hander that appears ticketed for the Smokies staff is Tommy Thorpe.