2019 Rule 5 draft

[LHG]

Today is the deadline for teams to finalize their 40 man rosters to protect guys from the Rule 5 Draft (one this baseball nerd's favorite event of the offseason). So with that, I thought I'd do my annual synopsis of who in the Giants' farm will be exposed to the draft if not protected. I'll start with the biggest group, pitchers:
Abel Adames, rp - Turns 24 next month. Looked overmatched last year in AZL and again this year with Salem-Keizer. Nothing in his numbers say protect.

Justin Alleman, rp - Hasn't thrown a professional pitch since his 2016 debut in the AZL. He's technically under the Giants' control since he hasn't officially retired (last transaction was being activated from the 60 day dl at the end of 2017).

Luis Amaya, rp - Just 21 years old, Amaya posted a really good season between Augusta and San Jose (1.01 WHIP, 1.74 ERA, 9.8 K/9 in 27 games). Someone to consider.

Caleb Baragar, sp - Turning 26 at the start of next season, here is a fringe prospect who turned in a decent season with Richmond. Possible, but not likely, protect candidate.

Deiyerbert Bolivar, rp - Almost 24 year old with an awesome first name. Threw the most games of his career in 2019 (19), between AZL and Salem. Posted good numbers (1.14 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 9.9 K/9) but considering level of competition and age, he'll be left unprotected.

Greg Brody, rp - Hasn't pitched in 2 years and his numbers the year prior to that were mediocre at best. Pass.

Sandro Cabrera, rp - Turned 24 during the 2019 season, pitched most of the year with Augusta. He threw well (2.06 ERA, but 1.37 WHIP) but got torched late in the year with Richmond. Also got lit up in San Jose in 2018. Pass.

Israel Cruz, rp - Younger than most of these guys (22) but didn't look that good with Salem (although had a nice 10.48 K/9). Can pass through the draft.

Tyler Cyr, rp - Looked like a solid prospect up until he got injured in 2018. Still put up a good year with Richmond (after pitching well there in 2017). Considering that he spent the whole year there, and will be 27 next year, will probably not get protected.

Dylan Davis, rp – A converted outfielder (26 yo), Davis threw his first professional pitches this year. He pitched decently with the AZL, got lit with Augusta and threw one good game in Richmond at the end of the year. He’ll be okay without protection.

David Graybill, rp – Got placed on the restricted list in early 2016 and has not been activated since then.

Norwith Gudino, sp – Had a phenomenal season while bouncing between the AZL, Salem and Augusta (and the restricted list) (0.53 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 13.8 K/9!). However, at his age (24 in 3 days), he won’t need protection, but could be a dark horse candidate for drafting.

Ryan Halstead, rp – He pitched decently in Richmond, in a repeat of that level (he looked much better in 2018). Considering his age (27) and repeat in AA, he’ll be left exposed to the draft.

Jasier Herrera, sp – A young hurler (turns 22 in January), he threw well with the AZL but got semi-torched in 5 late season starts with Salem. He’ll be okay exposed.

Jorge Labrador, rp – Youngest pitcher of the bunch (turns 21 in March), he also pitched well in AZL and knocked around in Salem. Will be left unprotected.

Brandon Lawson, sp – A waiver wire pick up from Tampa, he had an okay season with Richmond. Nothing suggests needing protection.

Mac Marshall, sp – Young-ish (24 in January) pitcher who bounced back from injury to throw 9 late season games with AZL and San Jose. Won’t need protection.

Jose Marte, sp – Got knocked around as a starter with San Jose this year. He’ll be okay exposed.

Rodolfo Martinez, rp – Remember when he was arguably a more exciting prospect than Moronta? That seems so long ago. Now, he’s an aging prospect (26 next April) who finally looked decent in San Jose this year (after rocking it in 2016) but got rocked in Richmond. He’s gone through the draft before unscathed and will probably do so again.

DJ Myers, sp – What could have been his first full year as a starter went up in flames due to injury. However, the soon to be 25 year old didn’t look that good in San Jose when he was healthy enough to pitch. Pass.

Carlos Navas, rp – Not sure why this 27 year old isn’t a minor league free agent but since he is not, he lands on this list. His first year with the Giants saw some good numbers in Richmond (1.56 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) but he got torched with Sacramento. Nope.

Adam Oller, sp – Another pick up from a different org, the 25 year old was serviceable for Augusta but not worth protecting.

Jesus Reyes, rp – After not pitching at all in 2017 and 2018, he made his stateside debut with the AZL Black team this year. And he looked awful. He’s also 23 years old. Nope.

Nolan Riggs, rp – He only got in 10 innings all season, between the AZL and Richmond. His numbers were good in a small sample size but nothing in his past seasons suggest the need to protect him.

Patrick Ruotolo, rp – This guy, if healthy, should definitely be considered for the 40 man. When he’s pitched, he’s done nothing but exceed. However, injuries limited him to just 13 games between the AZL and San Jose. When he did pitch, he posted a 0.95 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 11.4 K/9. A possibility, but unlikely.

Heath Slatton, rp – Hasn’t pitched since 2017 but is still considered “active”. He won’t be protected.

Caleb Smith, rp – No, not the Marlins’ prospect, this guy has spent the past two seasons on Richmond’s restricted list. Doubt he’ll need to be protected.

John Timmins, rp – Almost 26 years old and did not throw a pitch in 2019 due to injury. Will not be protected.

Jesus Tona, rp – Now here is a serious 40 man addition possibility. The converted catcher only hit his first speed bump at the end of 2019 with Richmond. Before that, he has dominated at all levels he’s pitched since 2017. A 11.2 K/9 is nothing to sneeze. Will most likely be added to the 40 man.

Andrew Triggs, sp – Journeyman vet signed toward the end of 2019. He’s yet to throw a pitch for the org but will not be protected.

Raffi Vizcaino, rp – Another guy I’m not sure why isn’t a minor league free agent. He has stalled out before this year. He did look good in San Jose once he was converted to a reliever and looked decent with Richmond. He could be an outside possibility.

Garrett Williams, sp – A lefty starter who looked decent in Richmond? Yeah, he’ll be added to the 40 man.

Sam Wolff, rp – The third “this guy isn’t a free agent?”, he looked good with Richmond after he came back from injury but got lit in 5 late season games with Sacramento. He may be a possible add.

 

[LHG]

Here are the catchers:

Andres Angulo – He is young (22 yo) and hit well last year in the AZL. However, his first full season was much worse (.210/.260/.294). He’ll be okay unprotected.

Bryan Case – Probably kept in the org for emergencies, he hasn’t played a game since 2016. Has only 8 games in his career that started in 2015. Pass.

Ricardo Genoves – Here is an intriguing catching prospect. He is young (20) and hit well in 32 games with Salem (.292/.361/.446). He did struggle with Augusta but could be a possible 40 man add.

Matt Winn – Once upon a time, he was a fringe prospect at a thin position for the org. This year, though, he was relegated to 3rd string catcher at Richmond behind two free agent pickups. When he played, he was awful (.122/.255/.211). Joey Bart is coming up, which will make his playing time even more infrequent. Pass.

 

[LHG]

Infielders:

Gio Brusa, 1st – The 26 year old has looked worse with each passing year. He spent the bulk of 2019 with Richmond and hit .223/.306/.410. Nothing to see here.

Manuel Geraldo, ss – The young shortstop (23) had a down year in San Jose, slashing .255/.298/.371. He hit better in Augusta in 2018 and, at the time, seemed like a lock. Now, he’s a possible, but unlikely, 40 man candidate.

Zach Houchins, 3rd - The 27 year old pick up from the Angels, he was passable with Richmond, which isn’t saying much. Pass.

Ryan Howard, ss – Another fringe prospect that, as he has progressed, has lost some of his shine. He is 25 (26 next July) and bounced between Richmond and Sacramento. His numbers, combined, came out to be .227/.277/.316. Pass.

Peter Maris, 3rd – Another free agent pick up, he started the year injured and then hit well with San Jose. However, his numbers got significantly worse with Richmond and then Sacramento. Pass.

Francisco Medina, ss – Soon to be 22 next March, he only got to play in 18 games (2 in Sacramento and 16 in the AZL). He won’t need protection.

Beicker Mendoza, 1st – He hit well last year but in his first stint at Salem this year, he looked rather mediocre for a 1st baseman. Pass.

Jalen Miller, 2nd – Another prospect with a down here. He hit .216/.287/.332 with Richmond. Still, a possible 40 man candidate.

Brandon Van Horn, ss – More likely a release candidate than a 40 man add, he bounced as org filler between San Jose, Richmond and Sacramento. He did hit well in 20 ABs with Sacramento but that is about it. Pass.

 

[LHG]

And outfielders:

Mikey Edie – He had a breakout seasons in 2017 with the AZL and 2018 with Salem but came back to earth this year with Augusta (.244/.312/.325). Pass.

Sandro Fabian – Lost in the shuffle with guys like Ramos, Bishop and Labour, he started the season injured. He hit well in rehab with the AZL and started well with San Jose before fading a bit at the end (.276/.355/.427 combined). He is young (22 in March), so a team could look to snatch him and hide him on their bench. Worth a consideration for the 40 man.

Jacob Heyward – Talk about a tale of two seasons. His first half with Richmond looked pretty good but he crashed in the 2nd half, posting a .209/.357/.339 overall in AA. Maybe his 2 game stint with Sacramento at the end will help his cause (2 for 5 with a home run and 3 walks). He may get considered, but is unlikely to be added.

Ronnie Jebavy – Didn’t play at all in 2019 and was awful in his previous three season. Nothing to see here, move along.

Franklin Labour – I am not sure he is eligible for the draft this year. He signed July 2, 2015 with the Giants and had turned 17 two months prior. However, he didn’t play until 2016. If he is eligible, he needs to be seriously considered for protection, despite his poor second half with Augusta.

Jose Layer – He looked good last year but turned in some awful numbers in Augusta this year. Pass.

CJ McElroy – Another why not a free agent? He played 14 games with Richmond and hit poorly. Pass.

Ismael Munguia – He did okay with Augusta (.286/.343/.376) but is just 21 years old. Probably okay to not protect.

Heath Quinn – Yet more proof that guys who hit well early in their minor league career are no sure things. He has done well prior to 2019 but hit poorly with Richmond this year, got injured and then bounced back with a strong 2nd half with San Jose. Had he done well with Richmond, he would be a sure bet to be protected. Now, he is unlikely to get protected.

Diego Rincones – The other guy I’m unsure needs protection (he also signed July 2nd, 2015, at 16 years old), he slashed .288/.351/.410 between Augusta and San Jose. At just 20 years of age, he may be worth consideration if eligible for the draft.

 

[LHG]

My short list of guys who be considered for the 40 man roster, from least to most likely:
Tyler Cyr
Jacob Heyward
Norwith Gudino
Diego Rincones(?)
Raffi Vizcaino
Manuel Geraldo
Caleb Baragar
Luis Amaya
Patrick Ruotolo
Heath Quinn
Ricardo Genoves
Jalen Miller
Sam Wolff
Sandro Fabian
Jesus Tona
Franklin Labour(?)
Garrett Williams

 

[SFGRTB]

The Giants didn't protect anyone. Not too surprised.

All of the Giants' beat writers said the Giants needed to protect Santos and Doval, but they should have been reading our message board because we knew as far back as October that those guys didn't need to be protected.

 

[LHG]

The Giants didn't protect anyone. Not too surprised.

All of the Giants' beat writers said the Giants needed to protect Santos and Doval, but they should have been reading our message board because we knew as far back as October that those guys didn't need to be protected.

I'm surprised that they protected no one. I mean, this is FZ we are talking about here. He's not made a transaction in almost 10 days! And Enderson Franco, Burch Smith and Joey Rickard are really worth protecting over some of these guys?

 

[Stokes1931]

I'm surprised that they protected no one. I mean, this is FZ we are talking about here. He's not made a transaction in almost 10 days! And Enderson Franco, Burch Smith and Joey Rickard are really worth protecting over some of these guys?

Probably recovering from RTS, Repetitive Transaction Syndrome. I hear the recovery can be painful.

 

[LHG]

Probably recovering from RTS, Repetitive Transaction Syndrome. I hear the recovery can be painful.

Funny, but seriously . . . Enderson Franco over Jesus Tona, Garrett Williams or Franklin Labour?

 

[tzill]

Heres an interesting article I found about outrighting players prior to Dec 2.

MLB Teams Clear Roster Space Via Ultimatum Offers

 

[SFGRTB]

I'm surprised that they protected no one. I mean, this is FZ we are talking about here. He's not made a transaction in almost 10 days! And Enderson Franco, Burch Smith and Joey Rickard are really worth protecting over some of these guys?

Maybe not, but I'll counter with this: if they add any of these guys, the Giants have to use an option to send them down every year, and these guys only get 3 option years. The value Zaidi holds very highly is guys who have options, and players he can shuttle up and down. The likelihood is these guys that we could have protected aren't going to be every day players, so their value is going to be providing depth. If these guys can't do that for a year or two, then that's a waste of options.

 

[LHG]

Maybe not, but I'll counter with this: if they add any of these guys, the Giants have to use an option to send them down every year, and these guys only get 3 option years. The value Zaidi holds very highly is guys who have options, and players he can shuttle up and down. The likelihood is these guys that we could have protected aren't going to be every day players, so their value is going to be providing depth. If these guys can't do that for a year or two, then that's a waste of options.

Yeah, I get that (on a related note, I've heard rumblings that MLB rules for injured pitchers and for the amount of days a guy has to stay in the minors after being optioned could change, call them the FZ amendments). But Enderson Franco????

 

[MarcoPolo]

Maybe not, but I'll counter with this: if they add any of these guys, the Giants have to use an option to send them down every year, and these guys only get 3 option years. The value Zaidi holds very highly is guys who have options, and players he can shuttle up and down. The likelihood is these guys that we could have protected aren't going to be every day players, so their value is going to be providing depth. If these guys can't do that for a year or two, then that's a waste of options.

I don't agree with this (or maybe I just don't understand the point you're trying to make).

If the player is good enough to be on the 40-man (or has the potential to help the team over the next 3 years) then he should be on the 40-man (if there is room - obviously, there's a priority/likelihood ranked list). However, if the player isn't considered strong enough (won't be helping the team, even as "depth") then adding him to the 40-man is a waste: not of options, but a spot on the 40-man is wasted. The options aren't "wasted" - either the player is good enough, or he isn't.

 

[SFGRTB]

I don't agree with this (or maybe I just don't understand the point you're trying to make).

If the player is good enough to be on the 40-man (or has the potential to help the team over the next 3 years) then he should be on the 40-man (if there is room - obviously, there's a priority/likelihood ranked list). However, if the player isn't considered strong enough (won't be helping the team, even as "depth") then adding him to the 40-man is a waste: not of options, but a spot on the 40-man is wasted. The options aren't "wasted" - either the player is good enough, or he isn't.

We're arguing the same thing, I think.

My argument was the players the Giants could have protected I don't think are worth using a 40-man spot for because they aren't ready to produce at the major league level. If they were added despite that, they would likely spend the majority of the year in the minors and use an option year in the process.

 

[LHG]

I don't agree with this (or maybe I just don't understand the point you're trying to make).

If the player is good enough to be on the 40-man (or has the potential to help the team over the next 3 years) then he should be on the 40-man (if there is room - obviously, there's a priority/likelihood ranked list). However, if the player isn't considered strong enough (won't be helping the team, even as "depth") then adding him to the 40-man is a waste: not of options, but a spot on the 40-man is wasted. The options aren't "wasted" - either the player is good enough, or he isn't.

We're arguing the same thing, I think.

My argument was the players the Giants could have protected I don't think are worth using a 40-man spot for because they aren't ready to produce at the major league level. If they were added despite that, they would likely spend the majority of the year in the minors and use an option year in the process.

So, do you guys feel that none of the names listed are worth protecting over a player like Enderson Franco? I ask mainly because it boggles my mind that the Giants purchased him in the first place in September and continue to hold on to him over players like Mike Gerber or Franklin Labour and Jesus Tona.

 

[MarcoPolo]

We're arguing the same thing, I think.
My argument was the players the Giants could have protected I don't think are worth using a 40-man spot for because they aren't ready to produce at the major league level. If they were added despite that, they would likely spend the majority of the year in the minors and use an option year in the process.

You add people to the 40-man because you think that they will be able to help the team - not necessarily play in the bigs THIS COMING year, but at some point in the next 3-4 years. And that 'contribution' could be as trade bait. At any rate, it isn't the option that is wasted, it would be the roster spot.

At this juncture, the BIG reason not to add your own talent to the 40-man is that you plan on picking up X players for the major league team (possibly reserves to be held in the minors, possibly for the 25-man) so you leave room, and only have 40-X people on the 40-man. Or, you think your current 40-man is better than anybody else that you have. While I could believe the former, the latter boggles the imagination. The roster is already at 40, and I agree that some of the younguns have a better chance to help the team over the next 3 years than some of the c.r.a.p they currently have stinking up the 40-man. The 3rd reason is (could be) the front office has looked at every other team's 40-man and is confident that other teams won't drop some of their own players from the 40-man for what the Giants have.

 

[MarcoPolo]

PS: I expect the Giants to lose a few guys in December during the draft.

 

[SFGRTB]

You add people to the 40-man because you think that they will be able to help the team - not necessarily play in the bigs THIS COMING year, but at some point in the next 3-4 years. And that 'contribution' could be as trade bait. At any rate, it isn't the option that is wasted, it would be the roster spot.

At this juncture, the BIG reason not to add your own talent to the 40-man is that you plan on picking up X players for the major league team (possibly reserves to be held in the minors, possibly for the 25-man) so you leave room, and only have 40-X people on the 40-man. Or, you think your current 40-man is better than anybody else that you have. While I could believe the former, the latter boggles the imagination. The roster is already at 40, and I agree that some of the younguns have a better chance to help the team over the next 3 years than some of the c.r.a.p they currently have stinking up the 40-man. The 3rd reason is (could be) the front office has looked at every other team's 40-man and is confident that other teams won't drop some of their own players from the 40-man for what the Giants have.

There are obviously certain cases where a guy will be a must-add even if they won't reach the bigs soon, but I don't think the Giants had anyone remotely close to that.

IMO you are wasting options if they're not going to play in the bigs in the next 2-3 years, they'll have used all their options by the high-end of that time. Prospects don't often come up for good, so if you're adding a guy who is 3 years away, you won't have that luxury going forward of optioning them down. Plus we know Zaidi's preferred method of using the 40-man roster, he likes to use all 40 guys if possible. So if there's a number of guys at the bottom who he won't bring up because they aren't ready, that hurts his flexibility, and if the guys he does have around don't have options, that hurts his flexibility.

Now all that being said, it's not often that guys who are added to the 40-man in the offseason spend 3 years in the minors without sniffing the majors because you would think at some point they should have broken through already and if they haven't, they probably flopped and you aren't concerned about losing them anyway.

I don't really think any of the guys that were eligible for the Giants will be picked up. Maybe Cyr, maybe Baragar, but probably not.

 

[SFGRTB]

So, do you guys feel that none of the names listed are worth protecting over a player like Enderson Franco? I ask mainly because it boggles my mind that the Giants purchased him in the first place in September and continue to hold on to him over players like Mike Gerber or Franklin Labour and Jesus Tona.

I mean probably, but I don't think anyone the Giants didn't keep is something to lose sleep over.

Also, why so hard is Franco? He looked solid at the end of last year pumping high-90s.

 

[LHG]

I mean probably, but I don't think anyone the Giants didn't keep is something to lose sleep over.

Also, why so hard is Franco? He looked solid at the end of last year pumping high-90s.

I think Tona is a good possibility to be gone in the Rule 5. Does he stick with his new club through spring training is a different story, though.

Franco did look good in a very small sample size but his numbers in AAA didn't show any reason for a promotion. He is the anti-Rogers.