The Padres have claimed right-hander Tim Melville off waivers from the Twins, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (Twitter link). Righty Miguel Diaz was moved to the 60-day DL in a corresponding move.
Melville signed a minor league deal with Minnesota in June and he made one single appearance on the big league roster, a spot start last Monday that saw him surrender five runs over 3 1/3 innings. The Twins designated Melville for assignment the next day.
Given Melville’s good numbers at both the Triple-A level and for the independent Long Island Ducks this season, he is worth a flier for a Padres team that is looking to find some hidden gems in their rebuilding process. Melville has improved his strikeout rate this season and cut down on the walks that plagued him earlier in his nine-year minor league career. As Berardino tweets, the Padres have had some good recent success on waiver wire pickups, adding both Brad Hand and Kirby Yates on claims.
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I wish Melville well. He’s a really good guy. He took time to visit with a kid from our youth group after discovering the youngster needed surgery to correct pectus excavatum (sunken chest) a condition Melville also had as a kid. He signed a bunch of items, brought Carsen and his family to a Reds game, took him to the clubhouse and introduced him to a bunch of players, all kinds of things. Melville’s an easy guy for whom to pull.
Very cool. I’m now a Melville fan.
So what happens to Miguel Diaz as far as his rule V rights are concerned now that he is going to be out for the season? Did he participate in enough games to remove rule V rights from the Brewers and make him Padre property when he returns from the DL? which will obviously the place once the Padres season is over.
The plan was from day one to “hide” Corboda, Torrens and Diaz on the roster this year in order to obtain their rights, with the ultimate goal then being putting them in the appropriate minor league affiliate to further their growth next year, I’m assuming double A for the three of them. But this injury kind of throws are wrench in the plans for Diaz if he hasn’t met his minimum game requirement to remove rule V status.
Good question BB. Here’s your answer.
A player selected in the Rule 5 draft has to stay on the active roster for at least 90 days out of the season. If he is on the DL long enough that he doesn’t make it to 90 days, the Rule 5 restrictions carry over to the next year and stay there until he reaches 90 days. Diaz has I believe 79 days on the active roster so next year he would need to be in the Majors for 11 days before we can send him down.
In the event that he needs Tommy John surgery, the rule remains the same. Once he comes off the DL he has to be in the Majors for the first 11 days.
Right on, thanks Ryan. Appreciate it.
Preller will have to get creative with his roster construction in the offseason knowing that Diaz has to stay on the 25 man for atleast the first 11 games of 18′. I still see him taking atleast 2 more rule V guys again this upcoming year because there are still organization’s like the Yankees, Braves and White Sox that are so deep that they can’t protect everyone on the 40 man.
Even John Mozeliak said the other day that St. Louis is going to have to re-think their operations when it comes to the rule V because guys are getting plucked from their organization that they never thought would have.
I have a strange feeling that other rebuilding teams might start copying Preller’s strategy in the Rule 5 draft. He’s not the first GM to ever use the Rule 5 draft in that manner (see the Twins and Johan Santana) but no one else has ever used it to the extreme he has. Obviously if you have any intention of contending it won’t work but rebuilding teams have the right to take a flier on those guys.
Prospects Preller signed during his massive international spending spree become Rule 5 eligible after the 2020 season by the way.
Diaz just had a rehab start in the minors. Sounds like he could be activated in the coming days. Move to the 60 day DL meaningless since he’s already been out that long.
Padres need to collect more pitchers. Maton needs to go back down! He got bombed again last night. Other than being Preller’s alter ego, why is he on the roster? “Closer of the future “. NFW!!!!
GM’s will copy Preller and give scrub 83 mil