12/10/2009 10:47 A.M. ET: Here is some quick info on the Indians new pickup in the Rule 5 Draft, right-hander Hector Ambriz. The Indians got an extensive look at him back when he was at UCLA as he was a teammate of lefty David Huff who they were scouting heavily at the time. He throws a fastball that sits 91-93 MPH and touches up to 95 MPH. His splitter is a very good pitch and is his out pitch. Indians are considering him for the bullpen and think his stuff has potential to play up as a reliever. I will have a more detailed scouting report in my wrapup piece tomorrow morning.
12/10/2009 10:20 A.M. ET: Indians lose left-hander Matt Meyer in Double-A phase of draft to the Cardinals. Good luck to Matt.
12/10/2009 9:58 A.M. ET: Indians lose LHP Anillins Martinez in Triple-A phase, but pick up Gianta AAA outfielder Brian Horwitz.
12/10/2009 9:37 A.M. ET: Not Rule 5 related, but supposedly former Indians pitcher Charles Nagy has rejoined the organization and will be the Triple-A Columbus pitching coach. More in an update later.
12/10/2009 9:23 A.M. ET: Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft is over and the Indians lose one player in left-hander Chuck Lofgren and pick up a player in right-hander hector Ambriz. Tough to see a good guy in Lofgren go, but now he has a chance to realize that dream of being a big leaguer. As always, there is a strong chance he could be returned since Rule 5 picks do not usually stick with their new club. More on Ambriz soon.....and now the minor league phase of the draft is up.
12/10/2009 9:13 A.M. ET: Indians left-hander Chuck Lofgren picked up by the Milwaukee Brewers in the Rule 5 Draft. Good luck to Chuck!
12/10/2009 9:05 A.M. ET: Indians select right-hander Hector Ambriz from the Arizona Diamondbacks with their #5 pick in the Rule 5 Draft. More on Ambriz soon.
12/10/2009 8:17 A.M. ET: Less than an hour until the draft. While the Indians are doing some last minute shuffling through scouting reports to see if they can find a fit with their #5 pick in the Rule 5 Draft, it still looks more than likely that they will not make a selection. That said don't be surprised if the Indians trade the pick for cash.
Also, this has not been mentioned much if at all, but there is an outside chance the player to be named in the Kelly Shoppach deal with the Tampa Rays could involve them trading us their selection (as directed by the Indians). If this happens, don't be surprised if the Rays draft their own player right-hander Aneury Rodriguez and ships him to the Indians. The Rays pick is in the middle of the draft at 16th overall.
Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports that the Royals at #4 are looking for a left-handed reliever and likely will make a pick. As I reported late last night, the Royals have some interest in Indians left-hander Chuck Lofgren as do several other teams because of his excellent splits against lefties this past season. There could be a fit there. Mayo also speculates that the Indians at #5 could target Arizona Diamondbacks right-handed pitcher Hector Ambriz.
12/10/2009 7:00 A.M. ET: Some early morning updates:
Though things can certainly change, the word out of Indians camp is that they likely will NOT make a selection with their #5 pick in the draft. This does not mean they will not participate in the minor league phase of the draft, as it is possible they may pick up a player or two there.
Word is the Pittsburgh Pirates have shown some interest in Indians left-hander Chuck Lofgren. The Pirates have the #2 pick in the draft, and with former Indians front office executive and now Pirates GM Neal Huntington involved it would not be a huge reach to see them select Lofgren. Huntington is very familiar with Lofgren from his days in the Indians organization up until the end of the 2007 season and knows Lofgren well and saw him at his best before leaving. It may be a reach to consider him with the #2 overall pick, but if Lofgren is still on the board the second time around the Pirates may snatch him up. Three AL teams the Rangers, Royals, and Blue Jays have also reportedly shown interest in Lofgren.
Left-hander Scott Lewis was removed from the 40-man roster about a month ago, but in the process cleared waivers and is still property of the Indians. Even so, he is eligible to be taken in the Rule 5 Draft and the Milwaukee Brewers been kicking the tires on him and showing interest. It is puzzling as to why any team would be interested in him as a Rule 5 pick with the roster restrictions it would bring, whereas he was free to be claimed off waivers with a lot more roster flexibility.
Matt McBride seems to be generating a lot more buzz the past 24-48 hours. Many teams love his potential with the bat, but his lack of a true position really hurts him. He has the versatility to play at catcher, first base and the outfield, but the general feeling is he is almost unplayable at those positions in the big leagues right now. His best chance is to go to an American League team where he could fit in more as a DH and play the other three positions from time to time.
12/10/2009 12:40 A.M. ET: Well, another Rule 5 Draft is here. It is a day that involves a lot of (over)hype leading up to it where fans tend to overreact to the thought of losing some marginal to above average prospects in their team’s farm system. In the end, usually not much of anything happens and only a player or two of interest may be lost. Knowing all that, this won’t stop us from obsessing over the picks today and keeping our fingers crossed no Indians are taken!
Anyway, I will be updating this post throughout the day today (Thursday) with any news in regard to the Rule 5 Draft that is Indians related or any other news that may be of interest. Be sure to check back often and refresh or re-click on this post for any updates throughout the day. Any new updates will always be on top with a new time stamp.
The Draft kicks off at 9:00 A.M. ET, and for those interested MLB.com is carrying it live on their audio feed. Teams need to have an open slot on their 40-man roster to make a selection, and can remove a player up until their pick comes up. Here is the draft order (number in parentheses is current 40-man status):
Note: The Yankees own the rights to the Nationals #1 pick as part of the trade that sent right-hander Brian Bruney to the Nationals earlier this week.
1. Washington Nationals (40)
2. Pittsburgh Pirates (38)
3. Baltimore Orioles (39)
4. Kansas City Royals (40)
5. Cleveland Indians (39)
6. Arizona Diamondbacks (38)
7. N.Y. Mets (39)
8. Houston Astros (37)
9. San Diego Padres (39)
10. Oakland Athletics (40)
11. Toronto Blue Jays (38)
12. Cincinnati Reds (40)
13. Chicago White Sox (39)
14. Milwaukee Brewers (38)
15. Chicago Cubs (38)
16. Tampa Bay Rays (39)
17. Seattle Mariners (37)
18. Detroit Tigers (39)
19. Atlanta Braves (40)
20. Minnesota Twins (40)
21. Texas Rangers (38)
22. Florida Marlins (39)
23. San Francisco Giants (39)
24. St. Louis Cardinals (35)
25. Colorado Rockies (38)
26. Philadelphia Phillies (33)
27. L.A. Dodgers (33)
28. Boston Red Sox (32)
29. L.A. Angels (38)
30. N.Y. Yankees (38)
Thursday, December 10, 2009
2009 Rule 5 Draft Live Blog
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10 comments:
Good luck Chuck! Bring on Ambriz...if he sticks!
Bummer. Really hope Lofgren's returned to us... he's always been one of my favorites with his winning attitude. However, if he had to go to a NL squad, I'm glad it's the Brewers, they've held a special place in my heart since they showed up in droves when the Tribe had to play a series up there.
9:23 and it's over? Man... why can't the NFL draft go so quickly?
HA, and the NFL Draft is going to become even longer!!!
Chuck Nagy? Cool, didn't really know he wanted to coach.
I really wish Lofgren well and hope he sticks with Milwaukee. He had good times and terrible times with the Indians. 2009 showed a big heart and he gave the Tribe his best. That being said, Ambriz might be the best available pitcher in the draft. Haven't seen him since UCLA but he has two good pitches. Most pundits seem to feel his future is in the pen and another arm won't hurt. Looks like a good exchange for the Indians.
Tony, did the Rays draft anyone? Just wondering because of the potential that the player they drafted could be our PTBNL from the Shoppach deal.
The Rays drafted Armando Zerpa from Boston.
Castro posted an article yesterday mentioning Mitch Talbot and Joseph Cruz being the two possible players agreed on for Cleveland to choose from when the trade went down.
If Castrovince is correct, I like Talbot out of the two. Everything I've read about him is good and he is ready right now, perhaps as a starter. Cruz is a long way away.
Castrovince is probably right but I have heard there is a LHP in the mix. At face value, it is hard to overlook Talbot who had health issues last year but could be competing for the rotation. I would project him as BOR. He also is on Tampa's 40 so we would have to designate someone, probably poor Adam Miller. On the other hand, Cruz looks to have a much higher ceiling but is not on the 40. I watched a tape of a July matchup with McFarland and both looked very good. This guy has game and projection with a mid 90s fastball and a fine FIP. He would likely be Kinston bound and I have no clue where you put him in that rotation. Though a bit older, I don't think a comparison with Alexander Perez is a big reach. I go with upside but cannot complain either way.
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