Philly Leader

The Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings in Dallas saw significant activity, with a focus on pitching talent. A total of 15 players were selected in the Major League phase, 11 of whom are pitchers. The draft began with the White Sox selecting right-hander Shane Smith from the Brewers.

The Triple-A phase was notably busy, with 68 selections made, bringing the total to 83 picks—the highest since 2004. Eligibility for selection required players to have turned pro at age 18 or younger in 2020 or at age 19 or older in 2021 and not be on a team's 40-man roster.

In this draft, clubs pay $100,000 for a player in the Major League phase and must keep him on their active roster throughout the following season. In contrast, it costs $24,000 to select a player in the Triple-A phase without placement restrictions.

Shane Smith's move was highlighted by his performance history and potential. "When we talked about him before the protection deadline we knew he was a really good pitcher," said Bryan Gale, Brewers special assistant to scouting.

Liam Hicks was picked second by the Marlins from the Tigers as one of few position players selected early. He will serve as backup catcher behind Nick Fortes.

Other notable picks included Garrett McDaniels by the Angels and Noah Murdock by Athletics. McDaniels' selection drew praise from Angels general manager Perry Minasian: “He’s a good arm and can spin two breaking balls.”

Mike Vasil was taken by Phillies but traded to Rays along with Nathan Lavender who had recently undergone surgery. "We’ve always liked him," commented Kevin Ibach, Rays assistant GM about Lavender.

The Braves acquired two players: Anderson Pillar from Marlins and Christian Cairo from Guardians during Round Two—the only team besides Rays to do so.