Rule 5 Draft

[Post Count Padder]

The deadline to protect players is tonight. As always, AZ Phil has the goods

 

https://www.thecubreporter.com/2020-rule-5-draft/0

 

Abbott and Morel are good calls on being added. I'd also like to see Duncan Robinson, Keegan Thompson, Dakota Mekkes added. I def think we're losing an upper level reliever or two.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Actually it's the rule v deaft.

[Tryptamine]

Actually it's the rule v deaft.

 

I laughed out loud and kind of hate myself for it at the same time.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Brendon Little made Jonathan Mayo’s 10 to watch in this week’s Rule 5 Draft:

 

 

Brendon Little, LHP, Cubs (No. 30)

A first-rounder (No. 27 overall) out of the junior college ranks in 2017, Little has seen his stuff regress a bit as a pro and he missed a lot of 2019 with a lat strain. Lefties with arm strength are tough to find, however, and if Little is shortened into a bullpen role, perhaps the 96 mph fastball he showed in school would resurface to go along with a curveball that flashes plus.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

And Michael Rucker was the only name listed in BA's lengthy Rule 5 preview: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2020-mlb-rule-5-draft-preview-version-20/

 

Michael Rucker, RHP, Cubs

 

The Orioles selected Rucker in last year’s Rule 5 draft but sent him back to the Cubs after he threw five scoreless innings during spring training. As a reliever, Rucker’s fastball plays up a little to the mid 90s and he locates it and an average slider with average control.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Cubs select Gray Fenter, RHP from Baltimore

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Cubs pass in the 2nd round.

 

Cubs lost no one in the major league phase.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

BA ranked Fenter 26th amongst Orioles prospects midseason last year:

 

Ranked Baltimore Orioles #26 prospect at the midseason of 2020

TRACK RECORD: A $1 million signee whose progress was stunted in 2016 when he had Tommy John surgery, Fenter’s return to low Class A Delmarva in 2019 went far better than the previous year. He saw his strikeout rate climb to 11.7 per nine innings during the successful campaign.

 

SCOUTING REPORT: Fenter attracted attention in high school for his 96-97 mph fastball, but two years back from surgery, he was sitting 90-94 mph with significant rising action up in the zone. His primary pitch was always a 77-80 mph curveball that had above-average traits, but he added a slider in 2019 that flashed plus. Fenter has a maxed-out frame that doesn’t lend itself to much projection, but he repeated his delivery well during the season.

 

THE FUTURE: The Orioles wanted Fenter to get a full season finished before moving him up. He’ll be old (24) for the level at high Class A Frederick in 2020, where he’ll begin in the rotation. But if the Orioles take him off the back-end starter track, he could quickly work into a major league middle relief role.

[Bertz]

BA ranked Fenter 26th amongst Orioles prospects midseason last year:

 

Ranked Baltimore Orioles #26 prospect at the midseason of 2020

TRACK RECORD: A $1 million signee whose progress was stunted in 2016 when he had Tommy John surgery, Fenter’s return to low Class A Delmarva in 2019 went far better than the previous year. He saw his strikeout rate climb to 11.7 per nine innings during the successful campaign.

 

SCOUTING REPORT: Fenter attracted attention in high school for his 96-97 mph fastball, but two years back from surgery, he was sitting 90-94 mph with significant rising action up in the zone. His primary pitch was always a 77-80 mph curveball that had above-average traits, but he added a slider in 2019 that flashed plus. Fenter has a maxed-out frame that doesn’t lend itself to much projection, but he repeated his delivery well during the season.

 

THE FUTURE: The Orioles wanted Fenter to get a full season finished before moving him up. He’ll be old (24) for the level at high Class A Frederick in 2020, where he’ll begin in the rotation. But if the Orioles take him off the back-end starter track, he could quickly work into a major league middle relief role.

 

I'm inferring that he's a big time spin guy. If his command is fine, and his velocity is fine, that's gotta be what got him his K Rate and his interest here.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

The Cubs select RHP Nicholas Padilla from Tampa and RHP Samuel Reyes from Pittsburgh in the minor league portion of the draft.

 

Cubs lose Yunior Pérez and Jeffrey Passantino in the minor league portion.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2020/04/os-farm-pitcher-gray-fenter-remembers-his-big-2019-season.html

[Bertz]

[CaliforniaRaisin]

14. Cubs: Gray Fenter, RHP (from Orioles)

Fenter signed for a well over slot $1 million bonus as a seventh-rounder from an Arkansas high school in 2015, but he had Tommy John surgery in April 2016 and didn't return to starting until mid-2018. He had a 1.81 ERA with 123 strikeouts in 94 1/3 Class A innings in 2019, with his fastball, curveball, slider and changeup all showing potential as average to solid offerings. Concerns about his delivery and control may land him in the bullpen, however.

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/2020-rule-5-draft-scouting-reports?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Fangraphs[/url]"]22. Chicago Cubs

Gray Fenter, RHP (from Orioles)

Yet another pitcher with a backspinning fastball taken in the Rule 5, Fenter sat 91-93 and touched 95 in 2019 while striking out 11 per nine. He’ll flash a yacker 12-6 curveball. He’ll turn 25 in January and has never pitched above A-ball.

 

The Tigers drafted wild arm strength lottery ticket Yunior Perez, who I’ve seen sit 92-96. He was on the Cubs list