Twins In On Rule 5 Draft?

Today marks the last day of the Winter Meetings portion of the offseason, and the highlight of the day is the Major League Baseball Rule 5 draft. For the Minnesota Twins, with one spot currently open on the 40 man roster, a selection could most definitely be made, but will it?

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Twins fans know the success and failures of the Rule 5 Draft all to well. Selecting unprotected players from other organizations can be somewhat of a crap shoot. When Minnesota took Terry Doyle from the Chicago White Sox, he provided next to no on field value from the mound and was returned to Chicago later in the season. Conversely, Minnesota selected Scott Diamond from the Atlanta Braves, and he went on to have his best season in baseball with the Twins in 2012.

Projecting the success of a prospect that has fallen out of favor with another club remains difficult. As Minnesota looks to turn around a team that has been consistently bad in recent years, they may not be room for that kind of unpredictability on their 25 man roster.

The Twins are apparently drawing closer to signing Ervin Santana, and while he would take up the last spot on their 40 man roster, don’t expect any moves to be announced prior to the conclusion of the Rule 5 Draft. Should a pick be made, more roster shuffling will take place.

Although the Twins may not make a pick today, they could stand to lose a few players. Former first round picks Alex Wimmers and Levi Michael are both unprotected and eligible to be drafted by other clubs in the Rule 5 Draft. Michael could be seen as a utility infielder, as the former North Carolina star took strides forward last season for Fort Myers. Wimmers hasn’t panned out for the Twins, and he may be best suited for a change of scenery.

Check back later today to see how the Twins handled their dealins with the Rule 5 Draft, both in selecting and losing players.

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