Article: Twins Select RHP Ryan Pressly in Rule 5 Draft

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Originally Posted by John Bonnes

It might just be that the Rule 5 just isn't worth paying attention to any more. Or it might just be that the Twins, who have had the #2 and #4 picks the last two years and come up with almost nothing, just don't know how to really take advantage of it any more.

Can anyone remember of any Rule 5 picks from last year for any team that look like they're going to be worthwhile?

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Here are the picks from the 2011 version (via MLB.com):

HOU: Rhiner Cruz, RHP, Buffalo (NYM)
MIN: Terry Doyle, RHP, Charlotte (CWS)
SEA: Lucas Luetge, LHP, Nashville (MIL)
BAL: Ryan Flaherty, 2B, Iowa (CHC)
KC: Cesar Cabral, LHP, Pawtucket (BOS)
CHC: Lendy Castillo, RHP, Lehigh Valley (PHI)
PIT: Gustavo Nunez, SS, Toledo (DET)
ATL: Robert Fish, LHP, Salt Lake (LAA)
STL: Erik Komatsu, OF, Syracuse (WAS)
BOS: Marwin Gonzalez, SS, Iowa (CHC)
ARI: Brett Lorin, RHP, Indianapolis (PIT)
NYY: Brad Meyers, RHP, Syracuse (WAS)

Does anyone ring a bell other than Komatsu?

Pressly seems like a pretty big meh pick. A 5.0 K/9 in 130 IP in 2011? I think you might be right about this that maybe the Rule 5 draft just isn't what it used to be.

I can think of worse picks... This is the type of guy you can stash in the pen and him not be a complete liability to the team and then send him down next season. Whether or not he can ever develop into a decent starter remains to be seen, but this isn't a bad option either.

In a way, the Twins just picked up Anthony Slama in the rule 5 draft. In a more accurate way, that is false, but I will pretend it is true.

Ryan Flaherty got a lot of playing time for that Orioles team. He'll likely split time with Casilla at 2B next year.

I do not understand how we passed on selecting a 2nd pick?
Lara who hits 98 mph lhr was still avalible and reports have him pitching well in relief in winter ball

I asked this in the live Rule 5 thread but no one is reading that any more. So my question is ...

Who the heck was the guy we lost in the AAA portion. I can't find him on any roster.

Also is Mark Sobolewski who we picked in the AAA phase (a good defensive 3B who hit 20 HR) the addition to push Plouffe?

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Originally Posted by johnnydakota

I do not understand how we passed on selecting a 2nd pick?
Lara who hits 98 mph lhr was still avalible and reports have him pitching well in relief in winter ball

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Apparently, John Manuel identified two guys who he thought were the top two on the board, both of which had that kind of stuff. Lara was one of them and Domingez(?) was the other. Neither was picked, not by the Twins, not by anyone.

I'm not busting on Manuel, or on the Twins, or on the other GMs. I think it just shows that there is a lot of unknowns in this process. But I'd sure be a lot more excited about a big arm like that than I ame about Pressly, FWIW.

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Originally Posted by John Bonnes

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Originally Posted by johnnydakota

I do not understand how we passed on selecting a 2nd pick?
Lara who hits 98 mph lhr was still avalible and reports have him pitching well in relief in winter ball

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Apparently, John Manuel identified two guys who he thought were the top two on the board, both of which had that kind of stuff. Lara was one of them and Domingez(?) was the other. Neither was picked, not by the Twins, not by anyone.

I'm not busting on Manuel, or on the Twins, or on the other GMs. I think it just shows that there is a lot of unknowns in this process. But I'd sure be a lot more excited about a big arm like that than I ame about Pressly, FWIW.

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I just thought Lara could compete with Robertson as the twins 3rd lefty ,
or maybe able to trade to keep him in our system

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Originally Posted by John Bonnes

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Originally Posted by johnnydakota

I do not understand how we passed on selecting a 2nd pick?
Lara who hits 98 mph lhr was still avalible and reports have him pitching well in relief in winter ball

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Apparently, John Manuel identified two guys who he thought were the top two on the board, both of which had that kind of stuff. Lara was one of them and Domingez(?) was the other. Neither was picked, not by the Twins, not by anyone.

I'm not busting on Manuel, or on the Twins, or on the other GMs. I think it just shows that there is a lot of unknowns in this process. But I'd sure be a lot more excited about a big arm like that than I ame about Pressly, FWIW.

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I think Lara was picked in the second round by Marlins. It does seem like that type of pick has more potential

Well if a team had a lot of room on the 40-man (and the Twins do) there's no reason not to snag mulitple players and let them compete in ST to see if either are worthy, you don't have to keep them all, you just have to be OK with spending approximately what a linebacker gets fined for a helmet to helmet hit in the NFL.

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Originally Posted by ScottyB

Also is Mark Sobolewski who we picked in the AAA phase (a good defensive 3B who hit 20 HR) the addition to push Plouffe?

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Good question. Do any of our minor league mavens know anything about this guy?

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Originally Posted by John Bonnes

Seems like a "C" prospect to me. :o

Actually, he doesn't. The most damning thing about his stats that I can see is that at the end of this year, being used only as a reliever, he struck out 21 in 27 innings at AA. In fact, he's bounced between starter and reliever throughout his minor league career. So even the hope that his stuff will be amped up out of the 'pen seems unfounded. He is the longest of shots to stay with the team this year, IMHO.

It might just be that the Rule 5 just isn't worth paying attention to any more. Or it might just be that the Twins, who have had the #2 and #4 picks the last two years and come up with almost nothing, just don't know how to really take advantage of it any more.

Can anyone remember of any Rule 5 picks from last year for any team that look like they're going to be worthwhile?

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Scott Diamond was a rule 5 pickup if I remember correctly?

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Originally Posted by Mchans24

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Originally Posted by John Bonnes

Seems like a "C" prospect to me. :o

Actually, he doesn't. The most damning thing about his stats that I can see is that at the end of this year, being used only as a reliever, he struck out 21 in 27 innings at AA. In fact, he's bounced between starter and reliever throughout his minor league career. So even the hope that his stuff will be amped up out of the 'pen seems unfounded. He is the longest of shots to stay with the team this year, IMHO.

It might just be that the Rule 5 just isn't worth paying attention to any more. Or it might just be that the Twins, who have had the #2 and #4 picks the last two years and come up with almost nothing, just don't know how to really take advantage of it any more.

Can anyone remember of any Rule 5 picks from last year for any team that look like they're going to be worthwhile?

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Scott Diamond was a rule 5 pickup if I remember correctly?

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Kinda-sorta. For one, it was the year before last. And for the other, they ended up trading to keep him rather than keep him on the 25-man roster all year in the pure Rule V sense.

99% of the time Rule 5 players make no real impact, the Twins have hit the jackpot three times with Diamond, Santana and Mack. I'm not real worried about what happens with this guy, I'm more glad we didn't lose anyone from the system with an upside or whatever.

Serious question. How are any of these scrubs better than Slama?

No idea, but they clearly do not believe on Slama.

As we talked about in another thread, the two pitchers in this draft with a significant chance for impact in 2013 were Josh Fields and Danny Rosenbaum, unfortunately, the Twins were just "good enough" in 2012 W-L to draft one pick after they were taken.

They went with the guy who could give possible pen help in 2013. Still, they should have gone after Braulio Lara or Juan Sosa, I'm disappointed, especially considering how they drafted in June and traded for Meyer and May here recently. This was worth the gamble when it was clear they couldn't get Fields or Rosenbaum.

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Originally Posted by ScottyB

I asked this in the live Rule 5 thread but no one is reading that any more. So my question is ...

Who the heck was the guy we lost in the AAA portion. I can't find him on any roster.

Also is Mark Sobolewski who we picked in the AAA phase (a good defensive 3B who hit 20 HR) the addition to push Plouffe?

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I don't think you got an answer on Tom Boleska, the guy taken in the AAA portion.

The Twins purchsed him from the Fargo indy league team about a month ago. My belief at the time was that he'd close for NB with a chance to move up to Rochester at some point. Really surprised he wasn't on AAA reserve list.

The point I continue to bring up is that teams shouldn't officially sign these guys til after the Winter Meetings. The Twins lost Dickey the same way a few years back.

I chatted a bit with Tom Boleska today. He signed with the Twins from the Redhawks, but he said at that time that the Orioles were really trying to sign him too, so he isn't surprised he was taken. Going to another team that really wanted him.

Boleska was listed as being taken from Pittsburgh. Ah, well...one of those oddball Twins.