Friday Rockpile: Six added to 40 man roster, Bellorin taken off
by Rox Girl on Nov 21, 2008 8:13 AM MST
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PrintWe started discussing this in a thread last evening, but the Rockies have made their moves to protect players from the Rule 5 draft coming up in December. Players added to the roster include RHP's Shane Lindsay, Ryan Mattheus and Samuel Deduno, as well as infielders Chris Nelson, Hector Gomez and Eric Young Jr. (who can also be used in the OF). The Rockies had space on their roster for all but one of these six, which necessitated outrighting catcher Edwin Bellorin to Colorado Springs to open the final spot.
I had speculated in August that Bellorin's stock had fallen when the team chose to call up Adam Melhuse instead of him to back-up Chris Iannetta after Yorvit Torrealba got injured. Yesterday's move was the confirmation that I was right. With Michael McKenry ascending the depth chart rapidly, it seems that Bellorin, Rick Guarno and Neil Wilson are having to get out of the way.
As for the six who were protected, there really weren't any surprises given strong fall performances from at least four of them (with the exceptions of Deduno and Gomez), and solid MLB level tools for all six.
Have the Rockies left any critical players exposed to the Rule 5? The team has excelled at identifying who is really of interest to teams around the league, safely letting EY2 and Lindsay go exposed last year at this time without seeing them drafted. This season, there are three players, right-hander Aneury Rodriguez, left-hander Xavier Cedeno (update, these two are ineligible, see comments), and infielder Daniel Mayora, that I could see as possibly desirable, and none of them are of the caliber or have the advanced skills of the six we did protect, so I think the Rockies will probably be safe with that trio. Right-hander Andrew Johnston might be an interesting wildcard, however. He's got some hallmarks of a typical Rule 5 pick (bullpen friendly, one MLB caliber pitch) that could entice a team, much like Steven Register did last season with the Mets. Similarly to Register, I wouldn't be surprised to see Johnston drafted, let's hope it's to another contender that can't afford to keep him all year.
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I meant to add that filling the roster means a few things
First, as Jack Etkin points out in the link above, is that the Rockies themselves can’t participate in the draft, which is okay since the guys we protected are as prospectively good as anybody we could have picked.
The second thing, however, is that it also means that any trades between now and December 11th involving Rockies players would have to involve an equal exchange on the 40 man roster, or an exchange where we’re giving upmore 40 man players then we get back. This has some serious implications for a Garrett Atkins trade in particular, as we’d been rumored to be wanting two players in exchange for him. For Willy Taveras, I’m seeing a trade for a prospect as more likely than a trade for an MLB player, but there’s a solid and somewhat growing chance that no trade occurs and we just non-tender him in December.
Third, it means that the Rockies aren’t going to be signing any free agent until additional space could be cleared up, which I was kind of counting on anyway. There’s a real crunch there, with Taveras’ spot being the most sensible opening, but not a lot of clear opportunities to clear up some space after that.
I was just typing up something along this lines.
I’m kind of surprised that they added this many. I know they had space, but trying to protect so many players can be a double-edged sword, when suddenly you need the space, as you pointed out for trades or free agents. I seem to recall that it’s much easier for a team to grab someone that you have to outright from your 40-man (e.g. Pedro Strop).
My guess is that if they need the space, you will see someone like Quintanilla or Speier get the axe first. If someone else wants them, so what.
by RockyMtnRedbird on Nov 21, 2008 8:37 AM MST up reply actions
Clarification
As for the six who were protected, there really weren’t any surprises given strong fall performances from at least five of them (with the possible exception of Deduno), and solid MLB level tools for all six.
Lindsay, Nelson, and EY2 had strong fall performances, but the other three? Mattheus barely played, and Deduno and Gomez didn’t play.
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Oops, I should have put four...
Mattheus didn’t play much in any fall league but I was referring to his late season work with Tulsa and side workouts in Tucson, which I have heard about. I will correct the implication that Gomez has done much (but there’s been some positive word on his recovery so far). I had heard nothing about Deduno recently until yesterday, which has me scrambling to get some info there.
Wimberly is eligible, right?
Do you think anyone takes a flyer on him in the Rule 5 draft? Right now, I’m not sure exactly what he’d offer a big league club from the bench to warrant the pick, other than pinch running duties.
by RockyMtnRedbird on Nov 21, 2008 10:58 AM MST reply actions
I doubt it...
He has limited defensive use, almost no use as a PH in the MLB right now, which leaves as you say his lone utility being his baserunning, and the few NL teams who would be looking for speed (you can forget the AL teams altogether) will probably be able to find an unprotected player from other teams with similar speed but a safer bat or more ability to be a defensive sub late in games.
Rule 5 Draft
Who in the Rockies org. is eliglble for the rule 5 draft?
College players drafted in 2005 or before,
High school or international signees (as long as they were younger than 19 when they signed) who entered the system in 2004 would be eligible. So while Wimberly, Johnston and Daniel Carte are eligible, Chaz Roe won’t be for another year.
Rule 5
I am a Christian Colonel fan, what are our chances of keeping him? Maybe best for him to get the Dec. draft?
He's actually a pretty decent possibility for a loss, I think
I just spaced about him when I wrote this. The major quality that makes it unlikely he gets picked is that his positional limitation to the corners leaves him in a crowded category that if teams are looking to fill, probably will be looking for a more powerful bat than Colonel provides. That said, he’s a quality contact hitter with some plate discipline and can play all four corners reasonably well. If there’s a bargain-hunting, OBP valuing team out there that has a PH/bench hole to fill, he could be a pretty attractive option.
In the end, I don’t think he gets selected, but his chances are probably higher than Cedeno’s or Rodriguez’s, but maybe not Mayora’s and probably not Johnston’s.
Rodriguez and Cedeno
I don’t think they’re eligible to be taken in the Rule 5 draft until next winter. They both signed when they were under 19 and have only four seasons of service time.
Cedeno was signed on May 21st, 2005 (DFE) at age 18.
Rodriguez was signed on February 2nd, 2005 at age 17
Thanks for the correction,
Cedeno I had just forgotten he had signed as a DFE, I had the wrong date listed for Rodriguez.
a look around the league
who are some potential draftees from other teams that could make an impact? i know the rockies wont be drafting but who are the big targets?
Honestly this takes a collective understanding of the league
That individual posters here probably aren’t going to be the best help for. I’d wait for next week when Baseball America should have some article up. Typically, I’d look to the deeper systems right now, Texas, Oakland, Tampa Bay, San Fran, for the most likely candidates, as the curse of depth is always having too many players to protect.
Chacin
I think Jhoulys was signed in 04. Is he eligible? It would seem like some bad team might consider picking him up just to get a prospect as good as him, such as the Padres.
I'm hoping somebody comes along and says something
That makes it clear why Chacin wouldn’t be eligible. If the Rockies do let him go to protect someone like Deduno, it’s well nigh unforgiveable.
Pitchforks and torches to someone and their house, I assume.
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Not eligible after all?
According to Baseball America, “Major league teams must protect players on their 40-man rosters within three or four years of their original signing.”
Chacin was signed in 2004, so it appears he’d be eligible, but the same article states: “Players who were 18 or younger on June 5 preceding the signing of their first contract must be protected after four minor league seasons.”
Chacin didn’t play on an affiliated Rockies farm team until 2007. He was in a Dominican League before that. Seems to be some grey area and contradictions here, but I’m thinking he’s not eligible.
by Andrew T. Fisher on Nov 22, 2008 8:11 PM MST reply actions
Is that from
BA’s Rule 5 primer penned by Alan Schwarz. That one isn’t updated, as the new rules (as indicated in BA’s new primer) give teams five years for 18 years and younger and four years for those 19 and older.
Not that that clears Chacin’s status.
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Aha!
That does clear Chacin’s status. He was signed in 2004 at the age of 16. Therefore, the Rockies have 5 years under the new rules before needing to protect him. He’s safe until 2009
by Andrew T. Fisher on Nov 22, 2008 8:22 PM MST up reply actions
Not exactly.
2004 is considered the first year; 2005 is the second; 2006 is the third; 2007 is the fourth; 2008 is the fifth. As the newer article states, all 2004 international signees need protection. However, there may be some consideration we don’t know about as to why Chacin wasn’t protected. If he is indeed eligible for the Rule 5 draft, well, we can chastise O’Dowd.
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Also, the DSL Rockies
are affiliated with the Colorado Rockies farm system..
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Thanks
I suppose you ought not trust a site just because it says it’s updated.
by Andrew T. Fisher on Nov 22, 2008 8:27 PM MST up reply actions
Perhaps
It depends on when the sign the contract. He signed in September. Maybe contracts signed after a certain point in the season do not count for that year.
If he signed that late,
he wouldn’t have played at all in 2004. I guess he signed a 2005 contract, which may make him eligible starting after next season. Still not sure, though.
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Forgetting one guy
… who is a lock to be taken. He is the archtypical Rule 5 pitcher who is “under the radar” due to a perceived “ceiling” but who has figured out a way to get hitters out at every level. I predict Matt Daley will be drafted and be a solid contributor in a major league bullpen in 2009. Best guess would be Pittsburgh or Cleveland.
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