2015 Rule 5 Draft pick scouting reports
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A year after finding an outfield starter in the Rule 5 Draft, the Phillies may have done it again. With the first pick Thursday, they plucked Tyler Goeddel from the Rays to add to their corner-outfield mix.
The younger brother of Mets reliever Erik Goeddell, Tyler was the 41st overall pick in the 2011 Draft out of Saint Francis High (Mountain View, Calif.). Signed for $1.5 million, he spent the first three years of his pro career at third base before moving to the outfield in '15. Goeddell responded with his best offensive season, hitting .279/.350/.433 with 12 homers and 28 steals in 123 Double-A games.
Goeddel has a solid set of tools that profile well in right field. He has raw power and speed, along with plus arm strength. Goeddell could compete for a job in left or right field, flanking 2014 Rule 5 Draft pick Odubel Herrera, who batted .297/.344/.418 with 16 steals as a rookie last season.
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To retain Goeddel, the Phils will have to keep him on their active big league roster throughout the 2016 season. A player selected in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft can't be sent to the Minors without first clearing waivers and then being offered back to his original club for half of his $50,000 Draft price. A team can place an injured Rule 5 player on its disabled list, but he still would face the same restrictions governing Minor League assignments in subsequent years until he totals 90 days on the active roster.
Below are scouting reports on the other 15 players selected in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft:
Jake Cave, OF, Reds (from Yankees)
Signed for $800,000 as a sixth-round pick from Kecoughtan High School (Hampton, Va.) in 2011, he has the chance to have four average or better tools, but his questionable power may make him more of a tweener than an everyday player. Cave spent most of 2015 in Double-A, where he hit .269/.330/.345 with two homers and 17 steals in 125 games.
Evan Rutckyj, LHP, Braves (from Yankees)
Another Yankees over-slot signing, he received $500,000 as a 16th-round Canadian high schooler in 2010. Rutckyj can reach the mid-90s with his fastball, but he lacks a reliable secondary pitch and consistent command. Rutckyj posted a 2.63 ERA and 82-21 K-BB ratio in 61 2/3 relief innings between high Class A and Double-A in '15.
Luis Perdomo, RHP, Padres (from Cardinals via Rockies)
While most pitchers selected in the Rule 5 Draft project as relievers, he has the upside of a No. 3 starter. Perdomo sits at 93-95 mph with his fastball, flashes a plus breaking ball and throws strikes. He pitched in the 2015 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and posted a 3.98 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 126 2/3 innings at two Class A stops.
Video: Top Prospects: Luis Perdomo, RHP, Padres
Colin Walsh, 2B, Brewers (from Athletics)
The quintessential scrappy infielder whose hustle and stats stand out more than his tools, he led the Minors with 124 walks and ranked second with a .447 on-base percentage. Walsh batted .302 with 13 homers and 17 steals in Double-A this past season.
Jabari Blash, OF, Padres (from Mariners via Athletics)
He fits the right-field prototype with his solid power and arm strength, though his strikeout totals are a concern. Blash hit .271/.370/.576 and ranked second in the Minors with 32 homers in 116 games between Double-A and Triple-A.
Josh Martin, RHP, Padres (from Indians)
He profiles as a seventh-inning reliever who has missed bats in the Minors with a low-90s fastball and an effective curveball. Martin recorded a 2.27 ERA and an 80-19 K-BB ratio in 67 1/3 Double-A innings.
Joey Rickard, OF, Orioles (from Rays)
A fourth-outfielder candidate, he stands out most for his on-base ability and defensive instincts. Rickard batted .321/.427/.447 with two homers and 23 steals in 117 games while rising from high Class A to Triple-A this season.
Deolis Guerra, RHP, Angels (from Pirates)
Once a well-known prospect, he signed with the Mets for $700,000 out of Venezuela in 2005 and went to the Twins three years later in the Johan Santana trade. Guerra finally made his big league debut in 2015 at age 26, posting a 6.48 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 16 2/3 relief innings. His best pitch is his changeup, which he sets up with a 90-92 mph fastball.
Video: PIT@DET: Guerra picks up first win as Major Leaguer
Joe Biagini, RHP, Blue Jays (from Giants)
A possible back-of-the-rotation starter, he has a 91-94 mph fastball that reached 96 and a trustworthy changeup. Biagini ranked second in the Double-A Eastern League with a 2.42 ERA, striking out 84 in 130 1/3 innings.
Matt Bowman, RHP, Cardinals (from Mets)
Another back-of-the-rotation option, he relies heavily on his low-90s sinker and his changeup. Bowman had a rough year at the hitter's haven that is Triple-A Las Vegas, going 7-16 with a 5.53 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 140 innings.
Daniel Stumpf, LHP, Phillies (from Royals)
He could make it as a specialist thanks to a low-90s fastball and a slider that helped him shackle lefty hitters to a .151 average in 2015. Stumpf had a 3.57 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 70 2/3 Double-A innings.
Chris O'Grady, LHP, Reds (from Angels)
His mid-80s fastball and high-70s slider are nothing special, yet hitters have trouble barreling him up. O'Grady recorded a 3.28 ERA and a 57-14 K-BB ratio in 57 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.
Zack Jones, RHP, Brewers (from Twins)
The classic Rule 5 Draft strong-armed reliever, he has a mid-90s fastball that reaches 98 mph and shows signs of a plus slider. Jones had a 4.18 ERA and a 68-28 K-BB ratio in 51 2/3 innings between high Class A and Double-A.
Blake Smith, RHP, Padres (from White Sox)
A Dodgers second-round pick in 2009 as a power-hitting outfielder, he moved to the mound in 2013 and backs up a low-90s fastball with a curveball and cutter. Smith posted a 2.89 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 53 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.
Ji-Man Choi, 1B, Angels (from Orioles)
He's a career .302 hitter in the Minors, but he lacks the power to profile as a regular at first base. Choi batted .298/.403/.421 with one homer in 18 Triple-A games, missing most of the season after breaking his right fibula during Spring Training.