Tomorrow, the Rule 5 draft reserve lists must be submitted of unprotected players by 8pm EDT which also means Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo must decide which players to protect and not expose to the Rule 5 draft. The Rule 5 draft allows players who have met the minimum eligibility requirements of tenure in the minor leagues to either be placed on the team’s 40-man roster or else get exposed to a Rule 5 draft where any team can take them — but there are rules that if another team drafts them then they must be put on the Major League team for the full season or returned.
The Nationals once drafted as a Rule 5 Jesus Flores, and he was a good find for the team. The actual Rule 5 draft happens on the last day of the Winter Meetings, and since 2011 the Nationals have not taken players rather they have lost several players. There is also the situation with Brian Broderick who failed miserably with the Nationals as a Rule 5 pick, and the Nationals returned him. Broderick along with Henry Rodriquez made up 2/7ths of Jim Riggleman‘s 2011 bullpen for the beginning of the season. Some Rule 5 players have limited experience and some have never made it past A-ball. Continue reading
