The deadline for teams to protect players on their 40-man roster has passed, which means it’s time to start focusing on MLB’s annual garage sale: The Rule 5 Draft.



For those unfamiliar with the Rule 5, it’s a chance for teams with room on their 40-man roster to acquire certain players who aren’t on the 40-man rosters of other teams. For teams, it’s an opportunity to inexpensively acquire potentially useful players, and for the drafted players it offers a chance to realize their MLB dreams.



There’s much more to the process, but for this discussion we just need to know that after a team selects a player in the Rule 5 they must keep him on their active roster for the entirety of the following season. If they don’t, they must offer him back to his original team. The Tigers took Victor Reyes with the first pick in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft and kept him on their active roster for all of 2018, thereby fully acquiring his rights. But last year they couldn’t find a way to keep reliever Reed Garrett in their bullpen, and they returned him to Texas.



It’s pretty rare to find talented players this way. Since 2006 there have been 210 players selected in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 Draft, and just four of them have produced a 2-WAR season for the team that drafted them. That 2% hit rate amounts to roughly the same success teams have in rounds 10-20 of the regular draft.



That doesn’t quite tell the whole story, though, because 16 players taken in the Rule 5 since 2006 went on to produce at least one 2-WAR season, it’s just that in most cases they did so with their original team, or after a series of trades. This group includes award-winners like R.A. Dickey, Josh Hamilton, and Ender Inciarte.



And there are other ways to benefit from the draft. The Astros selected reliever Josh Fields with the first pick in the 2012 Rule 5 Draft, and he put together a few strong years for a rebuilding Houston team. Eventually they traded him to the Dodgers for a then-unknown prospect named Yordan Alvarez, who just had a historic rookie season in Houston.



So in the end the Rule 5 Draft is just like any other method of acquiring players. There’s talent to be found, but to land it teams need strong scouting, proper development, and a good measure of luck.



There is one other thing teams need to hit on their Rule 5 picks: roster space. And as luck would have it, the Tigers are the first team to have the top pick heading into a season in which active rosters have been expanded to 26. That added roster slot could make it slightly easier to hide a player whose current skills fall short of his potential.



So, without further ado, who might the Tigers select this year?

Utility Infielder Types

There are enough of these types of players on the Tigers 40-man roster to go around as it is, yet the Tigers don’t really have an established starter anywhere on the infield, so there is room for talent.

IF Jonathan Arauz

6’0” | 150 pounds | 21-years-old

Switch Hitter

Arauz was originally signed by the Phillies but came to Houston as part of the Ken Giles trade in 2015. He has made steady progress, and 2019 was his best season, when he hit .249/.319/.388 with 11 home runs in 115 games. He’s not a good enough defender or a promising enough hitter to profile as an everyday player, but he does everything well enough to work as a utility man.



UTIL Trent Giambrone

5’8” | 175 pounds | 25-years-old

Right-handed Hitter

Chicago Cubs

Giambrone owns a small frame and doesn’t have much draft pedigree as a 25th-round senior-sign out of Division II Delta State, but he has performed well in the minors while showcasing an intriguing mix of power, speed, and athleticism. He hit .241 with 23 home runs and 17 steals in 2019, and in 2018 he hit .251 with 17 home runs and 26 steals in Double-A, so his performance last year wasn’t all related to the juiced ball. He’s primarily a second baseman, where he’s a fringe-average defender, but he’s spent at least 20 games at seven different positions in the minors, and the Tigers seem to like that sort of versatility.



2B Gabriel Cancel

6’0” | 185 pounds | 22-years-old

Right-handed Hitter

Kansas City Royals

Cancel is a product of the Carlos Beltran Academy in Puerto Rico, and he broke out in Low-A in 2017 when he hit .277 with 14 home runs and 30 doubles. He took a step back in 2018, but rediscovered his power last season when he went deep 18 times. He has solid hands and a strong arm, but his iffy range means he might move to third. His strikeout rate spiked to 28% in 2019, but he also added a little value on the bases by going 15-for-17 on steal attempts.



Game swings from MiLB opening weekend of #Royals INF Gabriel Cancel. Strong and compact build; bat-first infielder who might not stick at 2B; interesting batspeed and lift, though he’s a FB hitter now who could live to use the other field more. Just 21 y/o, has time to adjust. pic.twitter.com/NqpPgq0i3t — Adam McInturff (@2080adam) April 12, 2018

3B Lucas Erceg

6’3” | 210 pounds | 24-years-old

Left-handed Hitter

Milwaukee Brewers

Erceg began his college career at Cal, where he was primarily a third baseman but also hit the mid-90s off the mound. He transferred to an NAIA school as a junior and the Brewers grabbed him in the 2nd round of the 2016 draft. He looked like a steal early in his pro career, but his production has never quite lived up to his tools. He has raw power, a huge arm, and enough athleticism to handle first base or the outfield corners, but he just hasn’t hit much. Last year he posted a .218/.305/.398 line in the extreme offensive environment that was the Pacific Coast League. Kenny Graham, the Tigers new director of player development, spent the last three seasons working with Erceg as the Brewers minor league hitting coordinator.



UTIL Eli White

6’1” | 175 pounds | 25-years-old

Right-handed Hitter

Texas Rangers

White was a quality shortstop without a lot of pop for Clemson, and the Athletics took him in the 11th round in 2016. He hit .306/.388/.450 in 2018, with nine home runs and 18 steals in 2018, and then hit .344 in the Arizona Fall League. The Rangers acquired him from Oakland in a trade of Jurickson Profar, and while White went deep 14 times last season, he saw his batting average and walk rate fall, and his strikeout rate jump almost 8%. He’s a plus runner who showed strong contact skills until last year, and he’s seen time at shortstop, second, third, and center field.



3B Jason Vosler

6’2” | 205 pounds | 26-years-old

Left-handed Hitter

San Diego Padres

The Cubs took Vosler in the 16th round way back in 2014, and he didn’t do much in his first three seasons before a surprising power surge in 2017. He has now his 20+ home runs in each of his past three seasons while walking at a solid clip and keeping his strikeouts in check. He feels more like a minor-league free agent pickup than a Rule 5 selection, but his lefty power and patience might intrigue the Tigers.



Fourth Outfielder Types

Yes, the Tigers have plenty of fourth outfielders to go around, but that doesn’t mean they won’t become enamored with another one.

OF T.J. Friedl

5’10” | 180 pounds | 24-years-old

Left-handed Hitter

Cincinnati Reds

Friedl went undrafted in 2016, only for teams to “discover” him after he excelled while playing for the Collegiate National Team. The Reds were able to swoop in and sign him to the largest bonus ever given to an undrafted free agent. He’s a plus runner and defender with a contact-oriented approach, and the Reds named him their minor-league hitter of the year in 2018. He doesn’t have much power, though, and in 2019 he hit just .235 in Double-A while making three trips to the injured list.



OF Ronnie Dawson

6’2” | 225 pounds | 24-years-old

Left-handed Hitter

Houston Astros

The Astros 2nd rounder in 2016, Dawson offered an interesting mix of power and speed, but there were some questions as to whether he’d be able to handle center field in pro ball. He has worked hard in to make himself viable at all three outfield spots, and his power and speed has been on display, with 33 home runs and 48 stolen bases over the last two seasons. However, he batted just .207 with a 30.5% strikeout rate over 113 games in Double-A and Triple-A last year. He may intrigue the Tigers, though, as a left-handed batter with power, speed, and the ability to fill in at all three OF positions.



Here’s a gif of @astros prospect Ronnie Dawson robbing Rayder Ascanio (the prospect that the Cardinals received in the deal that sent Leake to SEA) of a HR pic.twitter.com/zCJhlZBqQg — Kyle Reis (@kyler416) July 30, 2019

OF Dom Thompson-Williams

6’0” | 190 pounds | 24-years-old

Left-handed Hitter

Seattle Mariners

Thompson-Williams is an impressive athlete who spent a few years in junior college before transferring to South Carolina, where he hit .321 with eight home runs and 18 steals in his lone SEC season. That was enough for the Yankees to draft him in the 5th round, and he broke out in 2018 when he was one of just six minor leaguers to post a 20-20 season. The Yankees traded him to Seattle as part of the James Paxton deal, and he struggled in his first taste of Double-A, hitting just .234 and striking out at a 32% clip. A lefty with power and speed is always intriguing, but it’s hard to imagine him sticking in the majors next year.



#Mariners prospect Dom Thompson-Williams joined the broadcast booth to discuss his first #MLB #SpringTraining, learning from veterans and more.



No. 15 on the @Mariners Top 30: https://t.co/6hIHLtCIIs pic.twitter.com/XBCqUaHWWg — MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 4, 2019

OF Buddy Reed

6’4” | 210 pounds | 24-years-old

Switch Hitter

San Diego Padres

Scouts fell in love with the hyper-athletic Reed when he was playing for the Florida Gators, but a disappointing junior season resulted in him falling into the second round, where the Padres drafted him. He has continued to show tantalizing raw tools and a frustrating lack of polish and production in pro ball, though a solid 2018 campaign saw him hit .271 with 13 home runs and 51 steals, and earn a trip to the Futures Game. He followed that up by hitting .333 in the Arizona Fall League, but he struggled again in 2019, batting just .228 with a 29% k-rate, though he did add 14 homers and 23 steals. Reed is likely to always disappoint at the plate, but his plus defense, 70-grade speed, average power, and plus arm could still make him a valuable bench piece.



OF Conner Capel

6’1” | 185 pounds | 22-years-old

Left-handed Hitter

St. Louis Cardinals

Cleveland drafted Capel out of a Texas high school in 2016, where he showed the ability to hit and play center field, but seemingly offered little power potential. Then he put together a shocking season in the pitcher-friendly Midwest League, batting .246 with 22 home runs and 15 steals. He was traded to St. Louis in 2018 and he hasn’t really come close to matching his 2017 production, but he has shown flashes of enough skill to be a viable 4th outfielder who starts against right-handed pitchers.



#STLCards No. 24 prospect Conner Capel sent this two-run shot to right field to extend the lead for Glendale, his 3rd home run at the @MLBazFallLeague.



Follow the game live: https://t.co/MNeWA9iOWI pic.twitter.com/Zp0nRovce8 — MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 24, 2019

Power Potential

The Tigers were sorely lacking in power last year, and they’ve said that’s something they would like to address in the offseason. Could they try to do that in the Rule 5? There are a few interesting options.

1B Roberto Ramos

6’3” | 220 pounds | 22-years-old

Left-handed Hitter

Colorado Rockies

Rockies hitters play in favorable home parks at three of the four full-season levels, and Triple-A numbers were so silly last year it’s hard to judge anything by them, but Ramos has real power potential. He hit 32 home runs between High-A and Double-A in 2018, and added 30 more last year. He walks at a solid clip but strikes out quite a bit, and he’s limited to first base, so he would be a risky selection, but he could be an option for the power-hungry Tigers.



3B Jose Rojas

6’0” | 220 pounds | 26-years-old

Left-handed Hitter

Los Angeles Angels

Rojas will be 27 by the start of next season, and he’s the definition of a longshot as a 36-round pick, but he has done nothing but produce in pro ball. He hit .304 with 17 home runs in Double-A in 2018, and last year he took advantage of the beach ball in Triple-A to post a .293/.362/.577 line with 31 homers. He’s at least intriguing as a lefty who takes good at-bats and has played third base, second base, first base, and left field.



3B/UT Jose Rojas; 36th-round pick who has worked beyond org player to depth charts, among league leaders in PCL where he slashed .293/.362/.577 with 31 home runs, concerns about lefty-lefty splits, good barrel control but excess infield depth may impact 40-man spot #Angels pic.twitter.com/muhGTZs70Q — Taylor Blake Ward (@TaylorBlakeWard) November 20, 2019

3B Cristian Santana

6’2” | 175 pounds | 22-years-old

Right-handed Hitter

Los Angeles Dodgers

Santana has walked just 68 times in over 1,700 career plate appearances, so he doesn’t exactly fit the profile of what teams are looking for in their hitters these days. That said, he managed to hit 24 home runs in 2018 and last year he hit .301 in 102 games at the Double-A level. He has plenty of bat speed, plus raw power, and a plus throwing arm, but he struggles with breaking balls and he’s far too aggressive.



OF Cody Thomas

6’4” | 210 pounds | 25-years-old

Left-handed Hitter

Los Angeles Dodgers

Thomas was a backup quarterback at Oklahoma, which cut into his baseball time and likely contributed to him lasting until the 13th round of the 2016 draft, where the Dodgers gave him an over-slot deal. He’s a big, athletic kid with plus raw power and average speed, but an iffy hit tool. He has launched 62 home runs over the past three seasons, while maintaining an 8.5% walk rate and a strikeout rate around 29%, but his batting average has fluctuated wildly. There could still be a bit of room to grow as a player, but he would definitely struggle in the majors next year.



A Third Catcher

The Tigers have said they’ll be seeking a veteran catcher this offseason, so it seems highly unlikely they would add another younger backstop to split time with 27-year-old Grayson Greiner or 24-year-old Jake Rogers. Still, there are a few catchers who are at least mildly interesting.



C Brett Cumberland

5’11” | 205 pounds | 24-years-old

Switch-hitter

Baltimore Orioles

The Braves drafted Cumberland out of Cal in the 2nd round in 2016 as a bat-first catcher. He hit for a decent average across two levels of A-ball in 2017 and 2018, displayed a nice mix of power and patience, and was included in a trade to Baltimore at the 2018 deadline. He played just 60 games in 2019, however, as injuries forced him to miss a few weeks at the beginning of the season, and about a month in the middle of the year. He might interest the Tigers as a switch-hitter with some offensive upside who could serve as a third catcher and also play a bit of first base.



Here’s a Brett Cumberland 2B, hardest hit ball by the Keys tonight. Cumberland was good at the plate, taking a walk, flying out to wall oppo without getting nearly all of it. Behind the plate, he looked uncomfortable, especially on the transfer and release. #Orioles pic.twitter.com/ezKpMxBJCC — Luke_Siler (@The_Luke_Siler) July 20, 2019

C Patrick Mazeika

6’3” | 210 pounds | 26-years-old

Left-handed Hitter

New York Mets

The Mets took Mazeika out of Stetson in the 8th round of 2015, and he has always been considered something of a tweener. He hit for average and got on base at a strong rate in A-ball, but he’s not terribly athletic behind the plate and he doesn’t have a very strong arm. He has played first base, but never showed enough power for that to be a realistic option. He hit 16 home runs and kept his strikeout rate under 20% last year, though, and might be an intriguing as a backup catcher with a bit of lefty pop.



Chance to Start



It’s hard to keep a Rule 5 pick in the starting rotation for a full season, and the Tigers aren’t in dire need of more pitching prospects, but value is value, and there’s nothing that says you can’t try to hide these guys in the bullpen.

RHP Sterling Sharp

6’3” | 170 pounds | 24-years-old

Washington Nationals

Sharp is a Michigan native who once pitched for Eastern Michigan before getting drafted in the 22nd round out of Division II Drury University. He’s a ground ball specialist who pairs a low-90s sinker with an above-average changeup and an average slider, and he made his way to Double-A by 2018. Injuries held him to just 58 2/3 innings during the 2019 season, but he added 24 innings in the Arizona Fall League where he posted a 1.50 ERA, struck out 24, and earned a Pitcher of the Week award. He projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter, and the Tigers have a track record of giving weight to AFL performances.



#Nats No. 13 prospect @DatDude_Ster42 was dat dude on the bump in @MLBazFallLeague action tonight:



3 IP

0 R

0 H

1 BB

4 K



Follow live: https://t.co/Vpi1QtV9hN pic.twitter.com/4iClSapsBA — MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 19, 2019

RHP Zack Brown

6’1” | 180 pounds | 24-years-old

Milwaukee Brewers

Brown was a well-regarded prospect at the University of Kentucky, but a disastrous junior season (2-11, 6.08 ERA) and questions about his delivery led him to fall to the 5th round. He opened some eyes in A-ball in 2017 when he posted a 3.11 ERA over 110 innings, but he really broke out in 2018 when he went 9-1 with a 2.44 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 125 2/3 Double-A innings, and the Brewers named him their Pitcher of the Year. Like most mortals, he ran into trouble in Triple-A last year, struggling to a 5.79 ERA, but his pitch mix, solid control, and upper-level experience could make him an attractive Rule 5 pick.



RHP Griffin Jax

6’2” | 195 pounds | 24-years-old

Minnesota Twins

The Twins drafted Jax out of the Air Force Academy in 2016, and his military obligations have led to him throwing just 254 2/3 career pro innings. The reins were off in 2019, though, and he performed well, posting a 2.90 ERA in 127 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. Despite that success, the Twins left him unprotected, and it’s likely because he’s fits better with the profile of the previous Twins regime. He’s a strike-thrower who pitches to contact and doesn’t miss many bats, and though he has three solid pitches, none of his offerings grade as plus.



Strictly Relievers



Relievers don’t typically offer a ton of upside, but they tend to be the easiest players to keep on the active roster, though that obviously wasn’t the case with Reed Garrett last year. It feels like a bit of a waste to use the pick on a bullpen arm, but the Tigers can’t really be picky.

RHP Oscar De La Cruz

6’4” | 200 pounds | 24-years-old

Chicago Cubs

De La Cruz has a checkered injury past, and he missed part of 2018 after testing positive for PEDs, but when he’s healthy he has shown a plus fastball and a plus breaking ball that could work in an MLB bullpen. He set a career high with 96 1/3 innings pitched last year.



RHP Jordan Sheffield

5’10” | 190 pounds | 24-years-old

Los Angeles Dodgers

The older brother of Mariners prospect Justus Sheffield, Jordan was electric at times for Vanderbilt in college, and the Dodgers took him with the 36th overall pick in the 2016 draft. He still shows pretty nasty stuff, with a fastball that hits the mid-90s, a sharp breaking ball, and near-elite spin rates, but he hasn’t been able to throw strikes consistently. In 2019 he struck out 74 batters in 55 innings, but he also walked 43.



RHP Wandisson Charles

6’6” | 220 pounds | 23-years-old

Oakland Athletics



For four years Charles looked like a classic hard-throwing reliever with zero command. Something seemed to click for the big righty in 2019 though, and he shot from Low-A Beloit to Double-A Midland, while seemingly improving at each step. He owns a high-90s fastball and a hard breaking ball in the upper 80s, and last year he posted a combined 2.89 ERA with 93 strikeouts and 43 walks in 62 1/3 innings.



Wandisson Charles (rhp, #Athletics) has a fair amount of dev work ahead of him, but it’s fun power stuff. FB 95-98 (99) with run; CB 88-89 with hard downer action. pic.twitter.com/ao2GDSfkga — Nick J. Faleris (@NickJFaleris) July 20, 2018

RHP Braden Webb

6’3” | 200 pounds | 24-years-old

Milwaukee Brewers



A poorly timed arm injury in high school meant that Webb didn’t debut in college until he was 21. He performed very well for South Carolina, however, going 10-6 with a 3.09 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 102 innings, and the Brewers drafted him in the 3rd round. He has worked as a starter for the bulk of his career, with a fastball that has touched 98, a curve that flashes as a plus pitch, and his changeup with above-average potential, but his poor command leads to far more contact and far fewer strikeouts than you might expect.



Braden Webb #Brewers

FB 95

CB 74-77

CH 86

There is a lot to like here pic.twitter.com/hGYVxHl4Gg — Jason (@Jasenelpartido) June 15, 2018

RHP Dauris Valdez

6’8” | 220 pounds | 24-years-old

San Diego Padres

Valdez is a comically large human with a monster fastball that touches triple digits and a slider that shows above-average potential. He’s not a great athlete and his lack of movement and command results in a lot of hard contact. Nevertheless, he would be an interesting add simply to watch children point and gawk at him.



RHP Lake Bachar

6’3” | 215 pounds | 24-years-old

San Diego Padres

Bachar is a more reasonably sized person who the Padres drafted out of Wisconsin Whitewater, where he was also a kicker for the football team. He has primarily worked as a starter since 2017, but his low-90s fastball and above-average breaking ball might play up in a relief role.



RHP Connor Jones

6’3” | 220 pounds | 25-years-old

St. Louis Cardinals

Jones was seen as a potential first-round pick heading into his junior season at Virginia, but while he was highly effective (11-1, 2.34 ERA) scouts began to sour on him because of a lack of strikeouts, and he fell to the Cardinals in the 2nd round. He worked as a starter in 2017 and 2018, but St. Louis moved him to the bullpen in 2019. He struggled in that role, producing a 4.47 ERA and walking 35 batters in 50 1/3 innings, but he owns a sinker that can touch 98 and both his breaking ball and changeup show above-average potential.



Toolsy Longshots



RHP Luis Oviedo

6’4” | 170 pounds | 20-years-old

Cleveland Indians

The Tigers already have a player named Luis Oviedo, but this one is a considerably better prospect. He’s also a bit of an enigma, though, as his velocity and control both seemed to regress in 2019. At his best, Oviedo with sit in the mid-90s and touch 98, but he was more often in the 89-92 range last year. He has a projectible frame and has shown signs of above-average secondary pitches, but trying to stash him on an MLB team would be very difficult, as he put up a 5.38 ERA in Low-A ball and likely needs another 2-3 years of seasoning.



Luis Oviedo rocky through two innings. Fastball velocity seems down from reports I’ve read, mainly 88-90 right now with a few 91s (lower in first inning, 86-87 with cut??).



No command glove side to RHH. CH 83-84, CU early count 73-74, SL 81-83.



Slo-mo mechanics below. #Indians pic.twitter.com/BORUFzN7kI — Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) July 6, 2019

2B Esteury Ruiz

6’0” | 170 pounds | 20-years-old

Right-handed Hitter

San Diego Padres



Ruiz consistently earns comparisons to Alfonso Soriano because his stance, swing, power-speed combo, and lackluster defense all remind scouts and coaches of the seven-time all-star. He impressed in the Midwest League in 2018, batting .253 with 12 home runs and 49 steals, but he took a step back last year in the more hitter-friendly California League, where he hit .239 with 6 homers and 39 steals. He’s a poor defender on the infield so any team that takes him would likely try him in the outfield, but apart from Buddy Reed, there probably isn’t another player available in the Rule 5 who can match Ruiz’s tools.



OF Moises Gomez

5’11” | 200 pounds | 21-years-old

Right-handed Hitter

Tampa Bay Rays

Gomez hit just .220 and struck out at a 34% clip in High-A last year, but he’s got plus raw power and he ranked 4th in the Florida State League with 16 home runs. The rest of his tools are average or slightly above-average, and if he managed to survive a probable disaster in the majors, he could eventually develop into an everyday corner outfielder.



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