Padres lose Freiman, keep other assets in Rule 5

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Padres scored big on Thursday during the Rule 5 Draft, though it wasn't for any player they selected.

In fact, the Padres didn't take a single player in the Major League phase of the Draft, though the bigger news was that they retained the two players they hoped to hang on to.

In the days before the Rule 5 Draft, the Padres heard that there was a strong chance infielder Jonathan Galvez would be taken. He wasn't, and now they can keep the 21-year-old, who can bounce around the infield and play the outfield as well.

Galvez has a career .281/.375/.435 line in parts of five seasons in the organization and will likely begin the 2013 season with Triple-A Tucson.

The other player the Padres were hopeful would get passed over was 24-year-old right-handed pitcher Jerry Sullivan, who struggled in the first half of the season with Class A Lake Elsinore (1-3, 6.28 ERA), though finished strong with a 3-2 record and 2.32 ERA in the second half.

Sullivan, a reliever, was the Padres' third-round Draft pick in 2009 out of Oral Roberts University. The Padres like Sullivan's plus-fastball and that he also developed a split-finger fastball, which was part of the reason for his success in the second-half.

The Padres did have one player selected in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft -- first baseman Nate Freiman, who has hit 71 home runs over his first four seasons in the system. He turns 26 later this month aAnd starred for Team Israel in the recent World Baseball Classic qualifier and in the Arizona Fall League.

"We figured there was a strong chance that someone might take him," said Randy Smith, the Padres' vice president of player development and international scouting. "He's had success during his Minor League career. Selfishly, we'd like to see him come back to us."

Freiman must stay on the Astros' 25-man roster all season or be placed on waivers and offered back to the Padres for $25,000.

The Padres selected two players in the Minor League phase of the Draft, both from the Royals -- pitcher Federico Castaneda, a 28-year-old right-hander and 21-year-old infielder Diego Goris.

Castaneda is 20-22 with a 4.30 ERA over parts of eight Minor League seasons. Goris has a .309/.340/.457 line over parts of five seasons. He can play anywhere in the infield.

Also Thursday, the Padres lost outfielder Sawyer Carroll to the Blue Jays in the Minor League phase. He hit .263 with eight home runs and 56 RBIs with Double-A San Antonio.