Rule 5 Draft

Rule 5 Draft Update: June Edition

By Anthony Franco | June 2, 2025 at 5:15pm CDT

Last winter’s Rule 5 draft was relatively busy, as 15 players were selected across 14 teams. Just under half remain with their new organizations. Only three are currently healthy, but that trio has been productive to varying degrees. It has been a couple months since our last look at the class, so let’s check back in to see how the players who have stuck are handling their first taste of the big leagues.

A quick refresh for those unfamiliar with the process: the Rule 5 draft is a means of getting MLB opportunities to players who might be blocked with their current organization. Teams can draft certain players who are left off their original club’s 40-man roster. The drafting team needs to keep that player on the MLB roster or injured list for their entire first season. If they do so, they’d gain the player’s contractual rights permanently. A team can keep an injured Rule 5 pick on the major league IL, but they’d eventually need to carry him on the active roster for 90 days. If the player misses the entire season, the Rule 5 restriction carries over to the following year.

If the drafting team decides not to carry the player on the roster at any point during the year, they need to place him on waivers. If he goes unclaimed, the player is offered back to his original organization — which does not need to carry him on either the MLB or 40-man rosters to take him back.

On An Active Roster

Shane Smith, White Sox RHP (selected from Brewers)

Smith not only made Chicago’s roster, he cracked the Opening Day rotation for the rebuilding club. Most of the time, teams keep Rule 5 pitchers in low-leverage relief until they build enough of a regular season track record to be entrusted with more meaningful innings. The White Sox gave Smith a rare amount of responsibility right out of the gate.

The 6’3″ righty is running with the opportunity. Smith has turned in a 2.68 earned run average through his first 11 starts in the big leagues. He’s striking out a decent 22.3% of opponents behind a 12.2% swinging strike rate — nearly two points higher than the league mark for starters. He leads a five-pitch arsenal with a 95 MPH heater, while opponents are batting .098 in 51 at-bats that end with his changeup.

That changeup has seemingly taken a massive step forward. Baseball America’s offseason scouting report called it a below-average pitch that Smith almost never threw. In mid-April, Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan of FanGraphs wrote that the White Sox had more or less added the pitch to his arsenal, and it’s already a plus offering. They ranked him the #7 prospect in the Chicago farm system at the time, placing him not far outside their overall Top 100. That’s essentially unheard of for a Rule 5 pick.

Smith is going to stick on the roster all season. He looks quite likely to be the Sox’s All-Star representative. They might scale back his workload in the second half, as he only started 16 of 32 appearances and logged 94 1/3 innings last season in the minors. He profiles as a long-term rotation piece, even if he might land in the middle or back end by the next time the White Sox are competitive. The developmental focus now is probably on honing his command. His 9.5% walk rate is a little higher than ideal, and only Nick Lodolo has hit more batters than Smith’s seven. Those are relatively small quibbles. He looks like one of the best Rule 5 finds in recent memory.

Liam Hicks, Marlins C (selected from Tigers)

Hicks, a lefty-swinging catcher, went from the Rangers to the Tigers in last summer’s Carson Kelly deal. While he reached base at a .414 clip in Double-A after the trade, Detroit opted not to add him to the 40-man roster. The rebuilding Marlins grabbed him to back up Nick Fortes, buying more time for highly-regarded prospect Agustín Ramírez to play at Triple-A.

Ramírez hit his way to the big leagues by the middle of April. He’s tied for the rookie lead with seven home runs through his first 34 games, so he’s unlikely to head back down anytime soon. Fortes returned from an oblique strain in early May. The Fish have operated with three catchers on the active roster for the past month, mixing in plenty of designated hitter work for Ramírez along the way.

The 26-year-old Hicks has played far less frequently, but he has been productive of late. At the time of our first Rule 5 update on April 14, he was batting .214 over 35 plate appearances. He’s batting .292 with eight extra-base hits and an equal number of walks and strikeouts (eight apiece) in 73 trips to the dish since then. The Marlins gave him his first major league start as a first baseman yesterday.

Carrying three catchers all season may not be ideal for roster flexibility, but the Fish have ample first base/DH at-bats to go around. Hicks is playing far too well right now to offer back to Detroit. Fortes, who has limited offensive upside and projects as a long-term backup, still has minor league options. The Marlins may not want to have a pair of rookies splitting time behind the plate, but sending Fortes to Triple-A could be an option if they feel they need more defensive flexibility off the bench.

Mike Vasil, White Sox RHP (selected from Mets via Rays and Phillies)

The 6’5″ righty has been a solid contributor to the Sox’s pitching staff in his own right. He owns a 2.10 ERA over 17 appearances, usually working 2-3 innings at a time. He’s walking nearly as many batters as he’s striking out, so it’s fair to question how long he’ll be able to keep this up. Vasil sits in the mid-90s over multi-inning stints and is getting ground-balls at a solid 52.5% clip, though. There’s no reason for the Sox to move on right now.

Currently On Major League Injured List

Garrett McDaniels, Angels LHP (selected from Dodgers)

Biceps tendinitis has shelved McDaniels since May 2. The Halos sent him to their Arizona complex on a rehab assignment last Tuesday. They’re allowed to keep him in the minors while he’s building up, but rehab assignments for pitchers can last a maximum of 30 days. Unless McDaniels suffers a setback, the Angels need to decide by June 26 whether to put him back in the MLB bullpen or move on from him.

The Angels bullpen has been an absolute disaster. They’re one of two teams (joining the A’s) whose relief group has an ERA beginning with a 6. There’s not a single Halos reliever who has worked at least six innings with an ERA better than 4.76. The opportunity is wide open, but the 25-year-old McDaniels has been a part of that showing. He has allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 13 hits and eight walks over his first 10 2/3 MLB frames. He’s getting ground-balls at an incredible 74.3% rate, but he’s not missing bats and has allowed home runs on two of the five fly-balls he surrendered.

Angel Bastardo, Blue Jays RHP (selected from Red Sox)

Bastardo underwent Tommy John surgery last June while he was in the Boston system. The Jays selected him knowing they’d stash him on the 60-day injured list for most or all of this season. That delays the decision on whether to keep him in the MLB bullpen, but he’d need to stick on the 40-man roster throughout next offseason and log at least 90 days on the active roster between this season and next for the Jays to get his contractual rights.

Nate Lavender, Rays LHP (selected from Mets)

It’s basically an identical scenario with Lavender, who underwent Tommy John surgery last May when he was pitching for the Mets. He’s more likely than Bastardo to make his return in the second half of this season. In any case, the Rays won’t need to make the decision for at least another month.

Connor Thomas, Brewers LHP (selected from Cardinals)

Behind a 53.5% ground-ball rate, the soft-tossing Thomas managed a sub-3.00 ERA over 56 Triple-A appearances a year ago. He had a solid spring, throwing 11 1/3 innings of four-run ball with 11 strikeouts and five walks. Thomas broke camp in low-leverage relief. He was hit hard in his first two MLB appearances. The Yankees teed off for eight runs (including a trio of homers) over two innings in his debut. Thomas gave up four runs in 3 1/3 frames against the Reds a week later.

The Brewers placed him on the IL with elbow arthritis after the latter appearance. They moved him to the 60-day IL in the middle of May, ruling him out into the first week of June. He’s seemingly a few weeks from making his return, as Milwaukee assigned him to their Arizona complex last week. As was the case with McDaniels, the team will have a few more weeks before they need to make a decision.

Returned To Original Organization

Noah Murdock, RHP (returned to Royals from A’s)

Murdock broke camp with the A’s and made 14 MLB appearances. He was hit hard, though, giving up 25 runs across 17 innings. He was the first Rule 5 pick to be returned to his original club during the season. The Royals assigned him to Triple-A Omaha after he cleared waivers in mid-May. He has given up eight runs over his first 6 1/3 innings there. Murdock was effective in the minors a year ago, when he combined for a 3.16 ERA through 62 2/3 innings between the top two levels.

Evan Reifert, RHP (returned to Rays from Nationals)

Refiert is a slider specialist with well below-average command. He walked 12 batters in 6 1/3 innings during Spring Training, so the Nats returned him to the Rays a couple weeks before Opening Day. Tampa Bay assigned him to Triple-A Durham for his first stint at that level. He’s been fantastic, racking up 29 strikeouts against five walks across 14 1/3 frames. There’s a decent chance he’ll get a look from the Rays at some point this year.

Cooper Bowman, 2B (returned to A’s from Reds)

A righty-hitting second baseman, Bowman got a brief look in camp from the Reds. He had three hits, all singles, in 25 Spring Training at-bats before Cincinnati decided he wouldn’t make the team. The A’s assigned him to Triple-A Las Vegas, where he opened the season on the injured list. He was reinstated in mid-April and has gotten out to a poor start (.229/.343/.349 in 99 plate appearances). Bowman struggled in Triple-A last season but has hit well up through Double-A.

Eiberson Castellano, RHP (returned to Phillies by Twins)

Castellano was trying to make the jump directly from Double-A, where he’d turned in a sub-4.00 ERA with a 31.3% strikeout rate last season. He didn’t command the ball well enough in camp to crack the Twins’ pitching staff, however. Castellano walked 10 batters and surrendered 10 runs over 10 2/3 innings. Minnesota returned him to the Phillies, who assigned him back to Double-A Reading. He fired 10 innings of one-run ball over his first three outings but went on the injured list after his fourth appearance. He’s back from that IL stint but hasn’t been able to find the strike zone in his two post-injury appearances, walking five in a combined 2 1/3 innings.

Gage Workman, IF (returned to Tigers by Cubs and White Sox)

Workman had never played above Double-A, where he struck out at a lofty 27.5% rate. His combination of power, speed and defensive ability nevertheless led the Cubs to select him in the Rule 5 draft. Workman mashed his way onto the Opening Day roster with a .364/.420/.705 line and four homers over 20 games this spring.

The Cubs weren’t able to find much regular season playing time. They gave him all of four starts at third base before moving on. The White Sox gave him an even briefer look after grabbing him in a small trade. Workman suffered a right hip injury within days of landing with the ChiSox. They waived him rather than put him back on the MLB roster once he was healthy.

Workman has been back with the Tigers since May 14. They sent him to Triple-A for the first time. He’s hitting .244/.333/.511 with four homers and a 27.5% strikeout rate in 13 games.

Anderson Pilar, RHP (returned to Marlins by Braves)

Pilar is another Rule 5 pick whose command was an issue in camp. He walked six batters over 5 2/3 innings, giving up nine runs in the process. Atlanta returned him to the Marlins, who assigned him to Triple-A Jacksonville. He’s pitching well, turning in a 3.91 ERA with a near-27% strikeout rate against a manageable 8.2% walk percentage. He could get a look from the Fish, especially if they move players like Calvin Faucher and Anthony Bender by the deadline.

Juan Nuñez, RHP (returned to Orioles by Padres)

Nuñez, who had never pitched above High-A when he was selected, always had an uphill battle to cracking a win-now roster in San Diego. Six walks over five Spring Training innings ensured he’d be offered back to the Orioles. He has an ERA north of 7.00 over his first 14 Double-A innings. Nuñez has fanned nearly 40% of opponents but is walking more than 18%. He has been on the injured list for the past two weeks.

Christian Cairo, SS (returned to Guardians by Braves)

Atlanta was the only team to make two Rule 5 selections. They returned Cairo to Cleveland at the same time they offered Pilar back to the Marlins. Cairo is one of a number of contact-oriented middle infielders in the Guardians’ system. He hit .179 without a home run in 16 Spring Training games. Cleveland assigned him back to Triple-A Columbus, where he finished last season. He’s batting .226 with no homers.

Rule 5 Draft Update: April Edition

By Anthony Franco | April 14, 2025 at 9:05pm CDT

Last winter’s Rule 5 draft was relatively busy, as 15 players were selected across 14 teams. Not all of those players broke camp, so we’ll check in on the class to see which draftees impressed enough in Spring Training to make their major league debuts.

On An Active Roster

Shane Smith, White Sox RHP (selected from Brewers)

Smith not only made Chicago’s roster, he cracked the Opening Day rotation for the rebuilding club. Most of the time, teams keep Rule 5 pitchers in low-leverage relief until they build enough of a regular season track record to be entrusted with more meaningful innings. The White Sox are giving Smith a rare amount of responsibility right out of the gate.

Some of that is on the team, of course. They’re coming off the worst season in modern history and expected to be one of the three worst teams in MLB this year. Their Opening Day starter, Sean Burke, entered the year with 20 days of major league service. Still, Smith has put his best foot forward in securing that rotation spot. He worked 10 2/3 innings of four-run ball during Spring Training, striking out 11 against four walks. Smith has managed a pair of quality starts within his first three regular season outings. He has only given up four runs across 17 2/3 frames, a 2.04 earned run average.

The 6’3″ righty will need to improve upon his 12:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He’s getting ground-balls at an excellent 52.1% clip, though, and a four-pitch mix led by a 94-95 MPH fastball is intriguing. He’s not in any danger of losing his roster spot anytime soon.

Liam Hicks, Marlins C (selected from Tigers)

Plate discipline has been Hicks’ calling card in the minors. He had more walks (seven) than strikeouts (six) during Spring Training, though he only hit .200 with one extra-base hit in 40 plate appearances. He broke camp and has hit .214 with two walks and six strikeouts in 35 trips to the plate. His lone extra-base knock is a double. Opponents have stolen seven bases in eight attempts over his 74 innings behind the dish.

It hasn’t been a great start, but Hicks doesn’t seem in jeopardy of getting squeezed off the roster in the near future. Fortes, who is probably better suited as a backup himself, went on the injured list with an oblique strain last week. The Fish called up journeyman Rob Brantly in his place. Hicks got the start in two of the three games over the weekend. He’s the primary catcher for now. Ramírez should get a look fairly soon, but Hicks has a bit of run to show he should stick around as the backup.

Garrett McDaniels, Angels LHP (selected from Dodgers)

McDaniels had made two appearances above A-ball — totaling three innings at Double-A — when the Angels plucked him out of the Dodgers’ system. He showed an impressive combination of strikeouts and ground-balls in the lower minors that intrigued the Halos. The grounders have remained against high-level hitters, though the whiffs have not. McDaniels got grounders on more than two-thirds of batted balls over nine Spring Training innings. He jumped a couple more experienced southpaws on the bullpen depth chart to break camp despite four strikeouts and walks apiece.

The 6’2″ lefty has been hit hard through his first few MLB appearances. McDaniels has allowed four runs (three earned) over 5 2/3 innings. He has given up seven hits and issued five walks while recording five punchouts. He’s still getting a ton of worm-burners. Twelve of the 17 batted balls he’s allowed have been grounders. They’ve mostly been hit hard, though, and one of the two fly-balls he has given up was a Yainer Diaz grand slam.

Noah Murdock, Athletics RHP (selected from Royals)

Murdock, a 6’8″ righty, has been a ground-ball machine throughout his minor league career. He got grounders at a huge 59.7% clip over 62 2/3 innings between the top two minor league levels last season. That continued into Spring Training, as he kept the ball on the ground at a 70.4% rate en route to a 3.86 ERA over 11 2/3 innings.

That earned Murdock a bullpen spot and a handful of relatively high-leverage assignments from skipper Mark Kotsay. It’s been a shaky start. Murdock has allowed eight runs through 8 2/3 frames, largely because of 10 walks. Most of the damage came in one dreadful appearance against the Cubs, where he gave up six runs in one inning. Murdock has managed scoreless appearances in four of his five other outings, but he has walked at least one hitter in all but one of those games. He’ll need to find the strike zone more consistently to stick all season.

Gage Workman, Cubs IF (selected from Tigers)

Workman had never played above Double-A, where he struck out at a lofty 27.5% rate. His combination of power, speed and defensive ability nevertheless led the Cubs to add him. Workman mashed his way onto the Opening Day roster with a .364/.420/.705 line and four homers over 20 games this spring.

The Cubs haven’t been able to find him much playing time. He has started only started two of their first 19 games, both at third base. Workman has two hits and a walk with five strikeouts over 10 plate appearances. The Cubs might not be able to use a bench spot like this all season.

Mike Vasil, White Sox RHP (selected from Mets via Rays and Phillies)

Vasil landed with the Rays via a Rule 5 draft day trade with Philadelphia. Tampa Bay waived the UVA product a couple weeks into Spring Training. The White Sox claimed him to prevent him from being returned to the Mets organization. Vasil joined Smith as the second Rule 5 pick on the Sox’s roster. He’s working in the mop-up spots typically associated with Rule 5 draftees. In four appearances, Vasil has reeled off nine scoreless innings. He has only managed six strikeouts against four walks and a hit batter. He’s coming off a 6.04 ERA over 134 innings in Triple-A.

Currently On Major League Injured List

Angel Bastardo, Blue Jays RHP (selected from Red Sox)

Nate Lavender, Rays LHP (selected from Mets)

It’s basically an identical scenario with Lavender, who underwent Tommy John surgery last May when he was pitching for the Mets. He’s perhaps a little more likely than Bastardo to make his return in the second half of this season. In any case, the Rays won’t need to make the decision for at least a few more months.

Connor Thomas, Brewers LHP (selected from Cardinals)

Returned To Original Organization

Evan Reifert, RHP (returned to Rays from Nationals)

Cooper Bowman, 2B (returned to A’s from Reds)

A righty-hitting second baseman, Bowman got a brief look in camp from the Reds. He had three hits (all singles) in 25 Spring Training at-bats before Cincinnati decided he wouldn’t make the team. The A’s assigned him to Triple-A Las Vegas, where he has begun the season on the injured list. Bowman struggled in Triple-A last season but has hit well up through Double-A.

Eiberson Castellano, RHP (returned to Phillies by Twins)

Castellano was trying to make the jump directly from Double-A, where he’d turned in a sub-4.00 ERA with a 31.3% strikeout rate last season. He didn’t command the ball well enough in camp to crack the Twins’ pitching staff, however. Castellano walked 10 batters and surrendered 10 runs over 10 2/3 innings. Minnesota returned him to the Phillies, who assigned him back to Double-A Reading. He’s pitched there once so far, firing three perfect innings with five strikeouts.

Anderson Pilar, RHP (returned to Marlins by Braves)

Pilar is another Rule 5 pick whose command was an issue in camp. He walked six batters over 5 2/3 innings, giving up nine runs in the process. Atlanta returned him to the Marlins, who assigned him to Triple-A Jacksonville. Pilar has been fantastic in the early going there, striking out nine without issuing a walk over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. If he continues at anything like that pace, he should get a look in Miami’s bullpen before much longer.

Juan Nuñez, RHP (returned to Orioles by Padres)

Nuñez, who had never pitched above High-A when he was selected, always had an uphill battle to cracking a win-now roster in San Diego. Six walks over five Spring Training innings ensured he’d be offered back to the Orioles. He’s making his Double-A debut this season. Nuñez has fanned three in two scoreless innings.

Christian Cairo, SS (returned to Guardians by Braves)

Padres Return Rule 5 Pick Juan Nunez To Orioles

By Darragh McDonald | March 25, 2025 at 5:10pm CDT

5:10pm: The O’s have officially announced that Nunez has cleared waivers and is back with them. He has been assigned to their minor league camp.

4:25pm: The Padres are returning Rule 5 pick Juan Nunez to the Orioles, reports Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Rule 5 players have to clear waivers before being offered back to their original club. It’s not clear if that has happened yet. Regardless, the Padres open a 40-man roster spot. If Nunez officially winds up back with the Orioles, he will not need to take a 40-man spot with that club.

Nunez, 24, is a right-handed pitcher who has worked both as a starter and reliever. Originally a Twins prospect, he was one of four players sent to the Orioles as part of the August 2022 Jorge López trade.

In his time in the minors, he has posted a large number of strikeouts but also plenty of walks. From 2021 to 2024, he tossed 230 2/3 innings across various levels with a 3.32 earned run average. He punched out 29.6% of opponents but gave out free passes at an 11% clip.

He started 2024 at the High-A level. He was shut down in May with a shoulder injury, limiting him to just seven starts on the year. That made him something of a surprise pick in the Rule 5, since he still hadn’t even reached the Double-A level. Per J.J. Cooper of Baseball America, he was slowed by that shoulder again to start camp. He eventually made four appearances in the Cactus League but gave out six walks compared to just four strikeouts.

Nunez was already going to have a tough path to breaking camp. He has no upper-level minor league experience and is coming off a mostly lost season. It certainly didn’t help that the shoulder problems carried over to this year and he struggled with his control.

The Padres also need to open a number of 40-man spots. They are planning to select the contracts of several non-roster invitees, with Jose Iglesias, Yuli Gurriel and Martín Maldonado reportedly all making the club. Nunez will open one spot. It also seems that Tyler Wade and Eguy Rosario are going to be removed, since both are out of options and aren’t going to make the Opening Day roster.

White Sox Claim Mike Vasil Off Waivers From Rays

By Nick Deeds | March 23, 2025 at 12:56pm CDT

The White Sox announced this afternoon that they’ve claimed right-hander Mike Vasil off waivers from the Rays. Right-hander Prelander Berroa was transferred to the 60-day injured list in order to make room for Vasil on the club’s 40-man roster.

Vasil, who celebrated his 25th birthday last week, has had a busy offseason. The longtime Mets farmhand was plucked from the club in the Rule 5 draft by the Phillies but was traded to the Rays for cash considerations shortly thereafter. He spent Spring Training with his newest club in Tampa, posting a 5.91 ERA in 10 2/3 innings of work, but ultimately did not make the club’s Opening Day roster. That led the Rays to place Vasil on waivers. If he had cleared waivers, he would’ve been offered back to the Mets, but instead the White Sox plucked him off the waiver wire and will now bring him into the fold along with all the roster stipulations that pertain to a typical Rule 5 player.

It’s not necessarily a surprise for a rebuilding club like the White Sox to dedicate roster spots to Rule 5 draftees, and some Rule 5 players like Garrett Whitlock and Anthony Santander have gone on to be valuable pieces for their new clubs after being drafted. With that being said, Vasil is coming off a 2024 campaign where he struggled to a 6.04 ERA in 134 innings of work at Triple-A Syracuse while still in the Mets organization. Providing any sort of major league production after struggling that badly at the highest level of the minors the year prior would be impressive in any context, but it would be especially impressive for a player in Vasil’s situation who cannot be optioned to the minor leagues.

With that being said, Vasil’s been viewed as scouts as a likely future starting pitcher capable of eating innings at the back of a rotation for years, and the White Sox are a club that’s clearly in need of innings. Fellow Rule 5 draft pick Shane Smith is also being carried on the club’s roster to open the season, and Smith appears to be in the mix alongside Bryse Wilson for the fifth spot in the club’s rotation behind Davis Martin, Jonathan Cannon, Martin Perez, and Sean Burke. Of that group, only Perez has made more than 21 starts in a big league season before. With so little experience in the club’s rotation mix, having an innings eater like Vasil available to take on spot starts or even carry the load in a long relief role could be quite valuable.

Brewers To Include Rule 5 Pick Connor Thomas On Opening Day Roster

By Mark Polishuk | March 22, 2025 at 1:41pm CDT

Left-hander Connor Thomas has made the Brewers’ Opening Day roster, according to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Thomas was selected out of the Cardinals’ organization in the Rule 5 Draft back in December, and the 26-year-old is now nearing his big league debut in what will be his sixth season of pro ball.

A fifth-round pick for the Cardinals in the 2019 draft, Thomas has pitched almost exclusively for Triple-A Memphis over the last four seasons, delivering a 4.36 ERA over 421 1/3 innings at the Cards’ top affiliate. Thomas doesn’t miss many bats and his control is good but unspectacular, as the lefty’s calling card is a knack for inducing ground balls. He has topped the 50% threshold with his grounder rates in each of his last three years in Memphis, and an inflated BABIP indicates that Thomas’ bottom-line numbers would’ve been better if he’d had just an average amount of batted-ball luck.

That kind of luck-dependent production could explain why St. Louis never gave Thomas a look on their active roster, but the Brewers were intrigued enough to draft him away from their NL Central rivals. Thomas then did his part to stand out this spring, with an excellent 0.96 ERA over 9 1/3 relief innings.

Thomas worked as both a starter and reliever in the Cardinals’ farm system before transitioning more fully into bullpen work last year, with the result of a 2.89 ERA over 90 1/3 innings. Several of Thomas’ 56 appearances involved more than one inning, so he can bring some innings-eating length to the Milwaukee bullpen. Thomas is one of three left-handers projected to be part of the Brew Crew’s pen, along with Jared Koenig and Bryan Hudson.

As per the stipulations of the Rule 5 Draft, selected players cannot be optioned to the minors. Thomas will have to spend the entire 2025 season on the Brewers’ roster (or, at least 90 days on the active roster and the rest on the big league injured list) for Milwaukee to fully claim his rights. If the Brewers wanted to remove Thomas from their active roster, they would have to place him on outright waivers, then offer him back to the Cards for $50K.

Marlins To Carry Rule 5 Picks Liam Hicks On Opening Day Roster

By Darragh McDonald | March 21, 2025 at 6:08pm CDT

The Marlins announced today that catcher/first baseman Liam Hicks has made the Opening Day roster, in the form of a video of manager Clayton McCullough telling the Rule 5 pick that he made the team.

Hicks, 26 in June, was drafted by the Rangers in 2021. However, he was flipped to the Tigers in July as part of the deal that sent catcher Carson Kelly to Texas. But the Tigers left Hicks unprotected in the Rule 5 draft, which allowed the Marlins to nab him.

His minor league track record has pluses and minuses. His defense isn’t considered especially strong, which is why he’s played a bit of first base in addition to his work behind the plate. Offensively, he has strong plate discipline but minimal power. He has stepped to the plate 1,097 times over various minor league levels with just 13 home runs. But his 15.1% walk rate and 13.4% strikeout rate are both excellent numbers. The overall result is a humpbacked slash line of .274/.405/.374, which translates to a 124 wRC+.

He came into camp with a fairly wide open path to a big league job. The Marlins only have two other catchers on their 40-man roster. Nick Fortes has hit just .222/.275/.344 in his career but should get a big league job based on his solid glovework. The other backstop on the roster is Agustín Ramírez. He’s a top 100 prospect with a strong bat but questionable defense, so the Fish presumably want him getting regular reps in Triple-A. He was optioned earlier this week.

Hicks has stepped to the plate 33 times in Grapefruit League action, with his numbers resembling his previous minor league work. He has six walks compared to just five strikeouts. His only extra-base hit is a double, leading to a .208/.424/.250 line.

That’s enough for him to get an Opening Day roster spot. The Marlins will roll with a Fortes/Hicks duo behind the plate. The club isn’t expecting to compete this year, so Hicks should get a decent amount of rope to prove himself. If he struggles, as a Rule 5 pick, he can’t be optioned to the minors this year. If the Marlins want him off the active roster, they would have to put him on waivers before offering him back to the Tigers. Any claiming club would be bound by the same Rule 5 parameters as the Marlins currently are.

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images

White Sox To Carry Rule 5 Pick Shane Smith On Roster; Drew Thorpe Leaves Start With Elbow Discomfort

By Darragh McDonald | March 20, 2025 at 5:25pm CDT

There were a couple of notable updates on the White Sox pitching staff today. For one, the club announced that Rule 5 pick Shane Smith will make the team, along with video of him receiving the news and relaying it to his parents. In a less positive update, manager Will Venable told reporters that Drew Thorpe departed a minor league spring game due to elbow discomfort and will likely require some imaging. Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times passed along video of Venable’s comments.

Smith, 25 next month, was the top pick in the Rule 5 draft which took place in November. A Brewers prospect, he had tossed 157 innings over the 2022 through 2024 seasons, allowing 2.69 earned runs per nine. He struck out 32.2% of batters faced while walking 8.4% of opponents, with solid ground ball rates as well.

The workload was fairly minimal. The pandemic had been a major interruption in 2020 and then Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2021. That led to him joining the Brewers as an undrafted free agent. He was working in relief in 2023 but he split his time between the rotation and bullpen in 2024. He got to 94 1/3 innings on the farm last year with a 3.05 ERA.

Despite the solid numbers, the Brewers didn’t add him to their 40-man roster, allowing the White Sox to grab him in the Rule 5. That gave Smith an opportunity to make his big league debut, which he has seized. He has tossed 10 2/3 innings over four spring starts. He allowed four earned runs with 11 strikeouts and four walks. For a White Sox club with little certainty on the pitching staff, that’s more than enough to make the team. As Venable said to Smith in the clip linked above, he made the decision pretty easy for them.

In addition to making the Opening Day roster, Smith might also have a rotation spot to start the year. Venable relayed last week that four rotation spots were taken by Sean Burke, Martín Pérez, Davis Martin and Jonathan Cannon. That seemed to leave Smith and Bryse Wilson as the two favorites for the final rotation job. Wilson has experience pitching as a starter and reliever. As mentioned, Smith has done both in the minors.

Perhaps more clarity will emerge in the coming days about specific roles, but the key thing is that Smith will be with the club. Rule 5 picks can’t be optioned to the minors. If a club doesn’t want to carry a Rule 5 guy on the roster, they need to put him on waivers and then offer him back to his original club if he clears. But Smith did enough to stick around and will get a chance to face major league hitters in official games soon.

Turning to Thorpe, more information will surely come out in the next few days, but it’s an ominous diagnosis for now. One of the top pitching prospects in the league, he was twice part of a blockbuster trade last offseason. He went from the Yankees to the Padres as part of the Juan Soto deal, with the Friars then flipping him to the Sox as part of the Dylan Cease package.

The young righty posted a 1.35 ERA in 11 Double-A starts last year and got promoted to the majors in June, skipping over the Triple-A level. But he posted a 5.48 ERA in his first nine MLB starts and landed on the injured list in early August with a flexor strain in his throwing arm. A month later, it was reported that he would undergo surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. In January, he told reporters that he needed a cortisone shot to deal with some lingering inflammation.

Here in camp, he has been ramping up with bullpens and live batting practice. That led to today’s minor league contest, his first real game action of the year. The fact that it ended with some more elbow discomfort is clearly a worrying development.

Further testing will reveal next steps but a significant injury would be unwelcome in many respects. It’s never good for a pitcher to miss notable development time but Thorpe was also set to have a wide open lane for big league opportunities. The Sox just lost 121 games last year and will have lots of starts available this year for anyone who earns them. If Thorpe is on the shelf, he obviously wouldn’t be able to take advantage of that clear path.

Photo courtesy Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images

Braves Return Rule 5 Pick Christian Cairo To Guardians

By Darragh McDonald | March 19, 2025 at 5:30pm CDT

The Braves announced that they have returned Rule 5 pick Christian Cairo to the Guardians. Atlanta’s 40-man roster count drops to 37 but Cairo does not need to take up a roster spot with Cleveland. Atlanta also officially announced that their other Rule 5 pick, Anderson Pilar, was returned to the Marlins. The Pilar news was reported earlier today.

Cairo, 24 in June, was a fourth-round pick of Cleveland’s in 2019. His profile has been fairly consistent. He’s never hit a lot of home runs but has always drawn plenty of walks. In 1,390 minor league plate appearances, he has just 15 homers but has earned free passes at a 15.6% clip. He also stole 72 bases in 89 tries while playing all four infield positions and some left field.

Perhaps Atlanta felt Cairo was ready to jump to the big leagues and serve as a utility guy, so they grabbed him in the Rule 5. Unfortunately, he didn’t do much to impress in camp, producing a tepid .179/.294/.250 batting line.

Per the parameters of the Rule 5 draft, selected players cannot be optioned to the minors. In order to keep him, Atlanta would have had to carry Cairo on the active roster. They clearly weren’t willing to do so and let him go. Rule 5 players have to be put on waivers if they are not kept. Other clubs could claim them but would be bound by the same roster rules. Now that Cairo has been returned to the Guardians, he can provide them with some non-roster depth and try to earn his way to the big leagues the traditional way.

Braves To Return Rule 5 Pick Anderson Pilar To Marlins

By Darragh McDonald | March 19, 2025 at 2:45pm CDT

The Braves are returning Rule 5 pick Anderson Pilar to the Marlins, reports Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Neither club has made an official announcement related to Pilar. Atlanta’s 40-man roster count will drop from 39 to 38. Rule 5 picks have to be put on waivers before being returned to their original club. It’s unclear if that has already taken place with Pilar. Assuming he winds up back with Miami, he won’t need to take up a 40-man spot with that organization.

Pilar, 27, has spent most of his career in the Rockies organization but signed with the Marlins prior to 2024. He then had a good year across three levels, tossing 58 innings with a 2.64 earned run average. He struck out 30.6% of batters faced while issuing walks just 5.6% of the time and getting grounders at a 46.9% clip.

That prompted Atlanta to grab him in the Rule 5, which allowed them to bring him into camp and get a close-up look at him. Unfortunately, Pilar wasn’t able to make the most of the opportunity. In six spring outings, he punched out 12 opponents but also issued six walks and ten hits, leading to nine earned runs.

Players selected in the Rule 5 draft cannot be optioned to the minor leagues. Given that spring performance, a contending club like Atlanta can’t really afford to have him figure it out in meaningful games, so they’ll let him go. As mentioned, Rule 5 players need to be put on waivers if the selecting club is relinquishing them. Any claiming club would need to operate under the same parameters, not sending Pilar to the minors. If he clears waivers, he will no longer have Rule 5 status and then he’ll be offered back to the Marlins, who can keep him as non-roster depth.

Atlanta started camp with two Rule 5 picks, the other being infielder Christian Cairo. Taken from Cleveland, Cairo is hitting .179/.294/.250 in camp, which doesn’t bode well for his chances of sticking with Atlanta.

Turning back to the Atlanta bullpen, the club has tried to bolster the group on the cheap. They have kept their payroll just south of the competitive balance tax while signing various veterans to minor league deals, including Craig Kimbrel, Héctor Neris, Enyel De Los Santos, Buck Farmer, Chasen Shreve and many more. That’s a situation that could potentially lead to some tough roster choices, but the club has seemingly been making those in recent days. They traded Angel Perdomo to the Angels recently, opening up one spot. Returning Pilar opens a second. Cairo would open a third. They also released Jake Diekman, subtracting one guy from the NRI pile.

Nationals Return Rule 5 Pick Evan Reifert To Rays

By Steve Adams | March 18, 2025 at 11:04am CDT

The Nationals have returned Rule 5 Draft pick Evan Reifert to the Rays, per announcements from both clubs. Washington’s 40-man roster is now at 39 players. The right-hander is back in the Rays organization and will not count against Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster. The fact that Reifert is being returned to the Rays indicates that he first cleared waivers after being made available to the league’s other 28 teams.

The 25-year-old Reifert (26 in May) signed with the Brewers as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and was traded to the Rays a bit more than a year later in exchange for infielder Mike Brosseau. He made his way to Double-A in 2024, pitching 41 1/3 innings of 1.96 ERA ball with an eye-popping 40.4% strikeout rate against a 9.9% walk rate. Despite the gaudy strikeout rate, Reifert was left unprotected last November and was the fifth player off the board in December’s Rule 5 Draft.

Last year’s 9.9% walk rate was higher than average but still far and away the best mark of Reifert’s career. He walked 14% of his opponents in 2021, 12.5% in 2022 and 37% in 2023 (in a tiny sample of 7 2/3 innings). Command has long been an issue, and that was again the case during spring training. Reifert issued a dozen walks and tossed three wild pitches in just 6 1/3 innings (39 batters faced).

Reifert has yet to pitch in Triple-A, but he’ll presumably do so this season. If the Rays can get his walk numbers back to even the 10-12% range, he has the potential to be an impactful big league reliever. The 6’4″ righty features a heater in the 94-97 range and an overpowering slider that MLB.com credits as a 70-grade pitch (on the 20-80 scale). FanGraphs touts that slider as a legitimate 80-grade offering … but couples it with 30-grade command.

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