Duaner Sanchez
Fresh Meat
Joined: 04 Dec 2003
Posts: 5
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 Posted: 12/04/03 - 18:30 Post subject: Information on the Rule V Draft
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As you all know, I was claimed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Rule V Draft. Here is some information on it, if you did not know.
As all of baseball convenes in Boston in mid-December for the 2001 Baseball Winter Meetings; one of the highlights is the annual Rule 5 Draft. It is often talked about, but seldom explained; but I will do my best to help you understand it.
On November 20th each major league club is required to set their organizational rosters for the winter in preparation for the Rule 5 Draft. The major league roster has a limit of 40 players who can be protected from the draft.
So, who is eligible to be drafted? A player who is not protected on the major league roster is eligible to be drafted if:
1. The player was 18 or younger when he first signed a pro contract and this is the fourth Rule 5 draft since he signed.
2. The player was 19 or older when he first signed a pro contract and this is the third Rule 5 draft since he signed.
In general for this upcoming Rule 5 Draft, those high school players who signed their first pro contract in 1998 (or before) and juco or college players who signed their first contract in 1999 (or before) are eligible to be drafted.
Those clubs who protect less that 40 players may then select a player(s) to be added to their major league roster up to the 40-player limit. Those clubs who are at the 40-player limit may not select a player. The order of selection is based on the won-loss record from this past season, with Pittsburgh owning the rights to the first selection and Tampa Bay in the second slot this year with others to follow.
In exchange for the drafted player, the drafting club must pay $50,000 to the club which held the contract of the player. That player must then remain on the active major league roster of the drafting club for the entire 2002 season, or be offered back to the original club for $25,000. In many cases, the player does not end up making the 25-man regular season roster and is offered back to the original organization or a trade is worked out so that the player may remain with the drafting club.
There is also a minor league segment as part of the Rule 5 draft; where players can be drafted from an organizations' double-A roster to another clubs' triple-A roster and also from a A-roster to a AA-roster. Players who are drafted in the minor league portion of the draft are not required to remain on the roster of the club which drafts them and are not subject to being returned to their original club. In return for the player, the original club receives the following cash considerations:
Triple-A Draft $12,500
Double-A Draft $ 5,000
For example, a player who is on the Birmingham Barons roster (White Sox) may be drafted by the Tigers for their Toledo roster; but that player is not required to play for the Mud Hens during the 2002 season. The Tigers would pay the White Sox $12,500 for the player's contract.
As a scout who had minor league coverage last summer, I was required to review all of the rosters and make recommendations to the front office for the draft. This meant going through my reports from last summer and projecting if any of the players could possibly play at the major league level in 2002 for the major league portion of the draft or if any players could help our organization by being a minor league draft.
By participating in the Rule 5 Draft at the major league level, the strategy which most clubs use is to try to add a prospect to their organization. Usually it is a player who can serve as the 25th man on the club for the summer, either in a utility role off of the bench or in the bullpen . Then most players will return to the minor leagues the next season for further development.
The most famous Rule 5 Drafts were Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente and 1987 MVP George Bell. Year-in-and-year-out, the Rule 5 Draft receives much attention, but rarely does it amount to much in the way of "stealing" a player from another organization.
The Rule 5 Draft is scheduled to take place on Thursday, December 13th at 9:00AM in Boston at the Winter Meetings.
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