Rule 5 Middle Infielders

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 01:32:55 +0000

This morning I discussed some players the Twins should consider taking in the Rule 5 draft tomorrow. I concentrated on outfielders, pitchers, and catchers, because I think those might be the Twins’ best positions to fill through the Rule 5 draft.

In response to my last post, TwinsGeek commented that the Twins might be interested in middle infielders as well. The more I thought about it, the more that idea made sense. Minnesota is so thin at the middle infield position that a Rule 5 shortstop or second baseman might make sense. When I looked at who was available, I found quite a few prospects who have hit well in the upper minors. Would it be worthwhile to let one of these guys compete for a roster spot? Maybe.

By the way, it is entirely possible (in fact, it’s almost guaranteed) that I missed some gems on my lists, so if you want to see a complete list of the players available in the draft, you can look here. Let me know if you find any other good ones!

Here are my suggestions. Note: I do not have any firsthand knowledge of the defensive abilities of these players, so the rankings might be skewed by offensive stats.

1. Tyler Kuhn, 2B/SS/3B/LF, White Sox, 23 years old on Opening Day (more…)

Twins Rule 5 Targets

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:08:05 +0000

Aside from the non-stop rumor mill barrage, one of the biggest highlights of the Winter Meetings is the Rule 5 Draft. The draft will happen tomorrow, the last day of the meetings. Usually, you don’t see too many big name prospects change hands, since most of them are protected by the 40 man roster, but there’s always the possibility that your team will select the next Johan Santana (a Rule 5 pick in 2000). Since the Twins have the #2 pick this year, some great prospects will be available when they pick.

The Rule V is best suited for rebuilding teams, because any player picked in the draft has to stay on the Major League roster for an entire season, or else the player goes back to his original team. It’s harder for a contending team to keep a roster spot occupied by a player who is still learning his way around the Majors Leagues. But for other teams, for example teams that just lost 99 games, it’s often worth taking a chance on a young player (if you want to brush up on how the Rule 5 Draft works, check out this post written by Puckett’s Pond’s Paul Pleiss last month).

Below is a list of players the Twins might be interested in this year, but first, let’s discuss the types of players the Twins might be looking for. (more…)

Puckett's Pond » Rule V

Rule 5 Middle Infielders

Twins Rule 5 Targets