Rule 5 Draft - Will the Brewers select/lose a player?

[ClosetBrewerFan]

The Rule 5 draft is Wednesday. The Brewers selected Gus Varland last year but ended up sending him back to the Dodgers.  Will they dip into the Draft again this year?  The Brewers have 5 open spots on the 40 man roster so little concern with that. Who may be picked from the Brewers organization?

Reference: I could not find a complete list of all available players (it would be a large list), but this lists the top players who are available, and this provides a writeup of one player from each team.

I think its unlikely the Brewers will pick anyone in the draft. They like roster flexibility and the ability to option guys to the minors. But they did select someone last year and the cost is low to take a shot.  My thought is a reliever or an infielder could be targeted.  My choices (in order) would be 3b/1b Deyvison De Los Santos, 1b/OF Carlos De La Cruz, RHP Matt Sauer, Power pitcher Tyler Owens, or 3b/2b Aaron Schunk. A 3b/1b would make a lot of sense since that is the biggest hole right now and you can always use more pitching.

As for any losses, I'm guessing we wont lose anyone in the draft (at least the major league portion).

What are your thoughts?

[LouisEly]

As of right now the Brewers only LHRP on the 40-man roster outside of Milner are Ashby, Small, and Andrews.  Ashby has major health question marks and the other two the Brewers haven't shown much confidence in nor have they given any reason for the Brewers to show much confidence in them.  I could see a LHP taken as insurance in case they are unable to sign a LHRP FA.

Shane Drohan of the Red Sox struggled at AAA this year primarily because he got bitten by the walk bug for some reason.  Perhaps there's a pitch or two he's struggling with as a starter and shortening his repertoire will reduce the walks.

Similar with Edgar Barclay of the Yankees who struggled with walks at AAA after being converted to a starter, but his numbers as a reliever in AA were really good.

Ian Seymour of the Rays has been bitten by the injury bug the last two seasons after being a 2nd round pick in 2020.  He looked really good in 2021 when he rose from A-ball to AAA.  Maybe they Brewers can find a way for him to start the season on the injured list to limit his innings and try to squeeze 90 days on the roster towards the middle of the season.  Pitched 42 innings last year, perhaps he can go 60-65 this year.  Highest upside of any LHP available.

[jay87shot]

I like the lefty idea, I think we pick 26th so I doubt there is anyone great around. Still it costs so little to pick someone, I say get whoever has the best stuff and get them in for camp and see if we can turn them around. Seymour would be interesting as a multi inning reliever. 

I could see someone taking Evan McKendry or Cam Devanney but I doubt either one would be able to stay on a big league roster long enough for us to lose.

[brewmann04]

I am not sure the Brewers will pick anyone  this sesason

[CheeseheadInQC]

Unless they really like the long term upside of someone, I doubt they take a hitter.  They have enough 40-man spots to play with, though, where taking a pitcher wouldn't surprise me at all. I've already made my case elsewhere for an Evan Reifert reunion, but Seymour is another intriguing option in the realm of Rays who probably wouldn't be available if they had stayed healthy.

If I'd have to guess I'd say no Brewers get picked, but if they do, I think they'd go for Myers, if a team thinks his stuff will play up in the bullpen, or Devanney, if they just want to come out of the draft with a utility infielder (none of the other options really have had more triple-A success than he has). I don't know if McKendry is seen as having the upside where a team would grab him without the luxury of being able to option him. Longer shots: Zamora (dearth of true shortstops with double-A experience in the draft), Carlos Rodriguez (coming off the strong winter league performance), Isaac Collins (would be at a higher tier if he could be more of a true utility infielder), Justin Yeager. Really long shots, but make me slightly nervous because I am high on them: Harold Chirino and Alexander Cornielle.

I'd imagine at the least there is a bit of shuffling in the triple-A phase. The Brewers could use additional high-A catching and outfield depth. And on the other side, there are a number of at least mildly intriguing guys, including at least one or two former top-30 prospects, who I could see the team leaving unprotected.

[LouisEly]

Ironically, Seymour's last game of the season and only game at AA was against Biloxi where he went 4 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 64 pitches.

[SF70]

I don’t see the team taking anyone in the R5 draft. 

I think they have as good a group of bullpen arms entering a season as I can ever remember and I just don’t see them handcuffing themselves by giving up another potential shuttle option. 

 

 

[Rick Daltons Flamethrower]

After reading the post of Closet Brewer Fan I did a little of research on 1b/3b Aaron Schrunk. Found this in an article in the Denver Gazette dated 8/5/23 by Luke Zahlmann

"I let some of those external factors get to me," Schunk said. "It was my first full season and I wanted it so bad that I almost took myself out of it. During that year, I didn't know how to talk about struggling. At that time, I had never really struggled like that before."

Dr. Douglas Chadwick was one of the first people Schunk found comfort with. He had to learn how to talk to someone, and he found solace in the Rockies Director of Mental Skills Development.

He worked with the team's mental health specialists to build a routine that would help his mind heal and put him back on track to making the majors."

So important to tend to your mental health and so glad it is now being discussed openly and honestly. Glad the stigmas surrounding it are diminishing. I find myself really pulling for Aaron to make it to the big leagues. Milwaukee's clubhouse might be a good place to get support  and  encouragement on this journey. 

[Outlander]

Since they went with Varland last year I'm going to say they draft somebody. I'll go with wild left handed reliever Andrew Magno of the Tigers, the Tigers owe the Brewers one for Reese Olson. If the Brewers move toward a soft rebuild maybe Ian Bedell is the pick, think he will be a decent mid rotation starter down the road and even better to take somebody away from the Cardinals.

[Playing Catch]

Tristin English could be an interesting corner IF/OF. I'm intrigued by guys that have had MiLB success, (particularly in AAA), missed development due to Covid, so they are just a little old as a prospect, and probably just have a hard time getting an opportunity. Troy Johnston would be similar. They could platoon.

Bring them to Spring Training, see how they do with an opportunity.

(I'm not really advocating this, per se, I think I'd prefer using Black and Clarke in that fashion).

 

[Ro Mueller]

From a little desktop review, maybe we'd look at the ranked Yankees' arms (RHP Matt Sauer, LHP Edgar Barclay), a Giants' reliever (RHP RJ Dabovich) or stash a youngster (Blue Jays' RHP Dahian Santos). We may also lose RHP Evan McKendry, who had one of the top WHIPs in the 20-team International League.

I'll also once say that in theory it should be much easier to stash a bat than in the past, with teams forced to roster 13 position players (vs. typically holding 11-12 in recent years) and the introduction of the DH to the National League (much fewer pinch hitting appearances). For that reason, we could lose INF Cam Devanney and also choose to select any number of prospects with one dominant tool (e.g. defensive SS/C, stolen base artist, pinch hitter).

[CheezWizHed]

Statistically, I would say that we won't grab anyone this year simply because we normally don't.  Being at the back end doesn't help matters either.  Really too bad Varland was hit last year. He was doing quite well (yes some troubling metric numbers) at the time. 

The easiest grab (as others have said) is for BP.  But we seem to have a rash of BP arms unless future trades lighted that up. OF is another area where we really have the depth and no place to stash someone.

1B, 3B, and Catcher are the biggest needs.  Perhaps SS/2B a sneaky need if Adames is moved. 

Perhaps Pablo Aliendo would be an interesting grab as our backup catcher?  If he doesn't work out, you can move up Quero and send him back.  Bonus is that he is from Venezuela.  Double bonus would be stealing him from the Cubs.

 

[Ro Mueller]

The Rule 5 Draft is underway. It looks like the Yankees (Spence, Sauer) and Red Sox (Drohan, Fernandez - to the Cardinals) quickly lost two pitchers each. The Marlins lost the first position player (INF Nunez) and the Rangers also lost a pitcher (Slaten),

[Ro Mueller]

No MLB Rule 5 pick for the Brewers this year, per Adam McCalvy

[Jastro]

Joe Gray goes to KC

[Ro Mueller]

4 minutes ago, Jastro said:

Joe Gray goes to KC

Interesting. I'd initially had him pegged for possibly a fresh start, but the trades of Avina and Mendez, plus the fact that he plays center field and seems to have a great attitude, made me think we'd protect him again.

[Ro Mueller]

And we've also selected nobody in the minor league phase: 

 

[Scooterfletcher]

If we didn’t lose anybody today, I view the draft as a success .  

[patrickgpe]

only 9 rule V selections in the MLB portion of the draft. I don't ever remember less selections off of the top of my head. 

[Jastro]

4 minutes ago, patrickgpe said:

only 9 rule V selections in the MLB portion of the draft. I don't ever remember less selections off of the top of my head. 

They said it was a light year because of the 2020 five round draft

[patrickgpe]

7 minutes ago, Jastro said:

They said it was a light year because of the 2020 five round draft

makes sense. Better to just pass then to use up a 40 man roster spot for even the spring. 

[Jim Goulart]

There are 48 names listed as Rule 5 eligible. In determining who they may wish to expose to that minor league phase, it may not necessarily be the furthest away from the higher levels. Organizations have exposed players to the minor league phase at times as a de-facto favor, perhaps giving them a new opportunity, while still retaining them as depth pieces if not selected.

The Brewers ended up utilizing 36 spots of the 38 allowed on their AAA roster, according to the roll call on the broadcast just prior to the minor league phase.

So 2018 2nd round pick OF Joe Gray, Jr. was not among the 36, glad to see he was the first player taken in this phase (by the Royals). Gray gets the dignity of being selected. It would have been awkward if the Brewers didn't have a AA spot for him in his nearby Biloxi home area for 2024. He turns 24 in March.

This was what I was referring to as the de-facto favor. Back in the Doug Melvin days, he once admitted to as much for infielder and brief big-league Brewer Eric Farris.

[ClosetBrewerFan]

surprised they did not pick up any catchers in the minor league phase.  Brewers have a dearth of C depth right now.  Guess they will be going out to get this years Crash Davis to fill the minor league rosters.

[Ro Mueller]

18 minutes ago, ClosetBrewerFan said:

surprised they did not pick up any catchers in the minor league phase.  Brewers have a dearth of C depth right now.  Guess they will be going out to get this years Crash Davis to fill the minor league rosters.

I doubt there’s much available to our liking. Probably best to re-sign Brent Diaz, Jason Lopez, Jose Sibrian and Alex Hall.

[ARobsBrewCrew]

1 hour ago, ClosetBrewerFan said:

surprised they did not pick up any catchers in the minor league phase.  Brewers have a dearth of C depth right now.  Guess they will be going out to get this years Crash Davis to fill the minor league rosters.

Suffice to say that it will, along with starting pitching, be a focus in these upcoming trades.