2009 MLB Rule V Draft

The World Champion New York Yankees got Jamie Hoffmann out of the LA Dodgers organization via the Washington Nationals, who selected him with the 1st pick in the Rule V Draft.  The Rule V draft was designed to help teams at the bottom to select minor leaguers who might be log-jammed with their current.  Reliever Brian Bruney was traded from the Nats to the Yanks in exchange for Hoffmann.  Washington paid $50,000 for the Los Angeles outfielder.  Jamie must stay in the majors this year or be offered back to his original ballclub for $25,000.  The 25 year old righthanded hitting outfielder had a cup of coffee in the majors with the Dodgers this past season.

Interestingly the Pirates, with the 2nd pick, selected a guy by the name of John Raynor from the Florida Marlins, if you put a T at the beginning of his last name you get Traynor, as in Pie Traynor.  Raynor is a leftfielder with very little power, who strikes out alot, not much to like.

Ben Snyder a lefthander out of Ball State was taken by the Baltimore Orioles out of the San Francisco Giants organization.  The O’s dealt him, along with reliever Chris Ray, to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Kevin Millwood.  I’m not suggesting that Ray + Snyder = Millwood, but this trade allowed Texas to sign Rich Harden, and have some money left over to improve their bullpen.  Ben might be able to step right into the Rangers pen as a lefthanded specialist, he was 16-5 with a 2.09 ERA & 145 K’s in 151 IP in A ball in 2007, and in AA in 2009 he had a 2.88 ERA with 86 K’s in 97 IP.

Kansas City then selected Edgar Osuna out of the Atlanta Braves organization.  The Royals must’ve been impressed with Osuna’s work in Mazatlan this winter.  The 22 year old lefty has looked good out of the pen, crafting a 1.40 ERA in 19′ IP with 14 strikeouts.

Jorge Jimenez might shine in the Florida sunshine, drafted out of the Red Sox organization by the Astros, the thirdbaseman was dealt to the Florida Marlins.  The Marlins traded reliever Matt Lindstrom (the team’s closer at the start of last season), so they must be serious about this Puerto Rican kid.  The 25 year old batted .289 with decent power & a good eye at AA.

Milwaukee drafted a 23 year old lefthanded starter out of the Indians organization named Chuck Lofgren, who has struggled as a starter, perhaps they’re thinking of moving him to the bullpen, he has some pretty impressive strikeout numbers in the minors.

One of the steals of the draft might be lefthanded reliever Armando Zerpa, selected by Tampa Bay from the Red Sox.  The 22 year old sparkled in AA where he posted a 1.20 ERA striking out 51 batters in 45 innings allowing only 19 hits.

Perhaps this should have been the lead story, Yankees lose Texeira to the Mariners in the Rule V.  Actually it’s sinkerball righthander Kanekoa Texeira, not slugging firstbaseman Mark Teixeira.  Still the Yankees might regret not protecting this kid, whom they got from the White Sox in the Nick Swisher trade.

The Baltimore Orioles lost, native son, Steven Johnson, son of former Orioles star secondbaseman & announcer Dave Johnson, to the San Francisco Giants.  The 22 year old righthander recently came to the O’s in the George Sherrill trade.  Steven struckout 102 batters in 96″ innings in A+ in 2009.

27 year old 6’5″ lefthander Ben Jukich was drafted by the Cardinals from the Reds, he has good control, and has posted some impressive numbers in winter ball.

This is my coverage of the major league phase of the Rule V Draft.  Some recent players who were selected in this draft, who have gone on to have some pretty good success are Johan Santana, Dan Uggla, & Josh Hamilton, to name a few.