Padres select two in minor-league phase of Rule 5 Draft
Credit: Pinstriped Prospects
In years past, the San Diego Padres were highly active in the Rule 5 Draft.
In 2015, the Padres picked up four players, two by selection and two by trade. One of those players, Luis Perdomo, became a useful relief pitcher for San Diego.
The following year, the Padres acquired three more young players. Of the three, Luis Torrens is the most notable as he was part of a package that was traded to Seattle for Austin Nola.
Then, the team went cold. For three straight years, San Diego has not made a pick in the Rule 5 Draft. They’ve only lost one player to the Draft since then as well, with Trevor Megill getting selected by the Chicago Cubs.
2020 marks the fourth straight year San Diego won’t select a player in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. However, they did lose one player and gain two more in the Triple-A Phase of the draft.
To the Chicago White Sox goes right-hander Martin Carrasco. San Diego will gain catcher Yorman Rodriguez from the Toronto Blue Jays and outfielder Ben Ruta from the New York Yankees.
More importantly, San Diego will retain Tirso Ornelas, and Lake Bachar’s rights, the No.17 and No.23 ranked prospects in the organization, according to MLB.com. With their prospect stock, some were concerned that one or both players could get selected by another organization, but those worries were laid to rest after the Draft’s conclusion.
Since they were selected in the Triple-A phase of the draft, Ruta and Rodriguez do not have to be added to San Diego’s major league roster and can be kept in the minors.
Carrasco has been in the San Diego organization since 2017. The 21-year-old mostly spent the 2019 season in the Arizona Rookie League, pitching 24.2 innings with a 1.46 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. He posted impressive K: BB numbers as he struck out 41 batters and walked four.
Carrasco also had a short cameo with the Tri-City Dust Devils, allowing two unearned runs in 4.2 innings.
Ruta has spent his entire career with the Yankees after the organization selected him in the 30th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He topped out at Double-A Trenton in 2019, batting .260/.330/.396 with eight home runs and 25 stolen bases.
While he is classified as an outfielder, Ruta has limited experience in the infield as he has played nine games at first base and one at second base.
Originally signed by Toronto as a catcher, Rodriguez transitioned to first base in 2019 after struggling with injuries and hasn’t looked back since. He split last season between Short Season Vancouver and Low-A Lansing, batting .360/.387/.503 between both levels.
While the power has been slow to develop (only five home runs last year), the 23-year-old Venezuelan has shown solid plate discipline, taking 11 walks against 18 strikeouts throughout all of 2019.
I am currently attending San Diego State University while working on achieving a major in journalism. At SDSU, I write for The Daily Aztec while also hosting the sports radio show “Picked Off”, for KCR Radio. A loyal fan of San Diego sports, I hope to bring content that you will enjoy reading.