While the baseball world waits to learn the fate of All-Star third baseman Manny Machado, the Orioles’ version of Christmas came Thursday with the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings.
Executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette selected three pitchers: left-hander Nestor Cortes and right-hander Jose Mesa from the New York Yankees organization and right-hander Pedro Araujo from the Chicago Cubs organization. All three have been placed on the 40-man roster and must remain on the 25-man club throughout the 2018 season to remain with the organization.
Cortes, 23, went 7-4 with a 2.06 ERA in 104 2/3 innings this past season with most of that time split between Double-A Trenton (52 innings) and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (48 1/3 innings). He averaged 9.0 strikeouts and 2.8 walks despite not possessing overwhelming stuff.
Duquette told reporters in Florida that Cortes could compete for a spot in the major league rotation that currently sports only Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman.
Mesa, 24, is the son of former Orioles pitcher and All-Star closer Jose Mesa and split the 2017 seaosn between Trenton and Single-A Tampa. The right-hander posted a combined 1.93 ERA and struck out 101 batters while walking 32 in 84 innings.
The 24-year-old Araujo finished the 2017 campaign with a 1.76 ERA in 66 2/3 innings split between Single-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Tennessee. He averaged 11.7 strikeouts and 2.4 walks per nine innings.
The Orioles must also begin the 2018 season with former Rule 5 pick Anthony Santander on the 25-man roster after the outfielder missed most of last season with an elbow injury. They are now set to take four Rule 5 picks to spring training in Sarasota.
Baltimore did not lose any prospects in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft as only 15 other players were selected by the other 29 clubs.
Since Duquette took over in the fall of 2011, the Orioles have made at least one Rule 5 selection every year, but those picks have combined for only 1.7 wins above replacement, according to Baseball Reference. The organization has often expressed its affinity for this outlet, but the minimal value that’s come to fruition has been accompanied by roster crunches that have frequently hamstrung contending clubs over multiple seasons.
