Cubs claim three, lose three in Minor League Rule 5 Draft |
As is the case every season, the Rule 5 MLB draft is one of the more overlooked offseason times. It happens right in the middle of the offseason, and it mostly deals with Minor League guys or roster fringe players that organizations don't want to protect. That can work out in your favor sometimes, and the Cubs are hoping Gage Workman works out in theirs, as the Cubs drafted him as one of the 15 MLB Rule 5 draft players.
However, MLB Rule 5 players aren't the only ones available. There is also a Minor League portion of this draft that allows teams to poach players from different organizations. Given how highly regarded the Cubs system is, there was plenty of fear leading into the Rule 5 draft, as Christian Franklin and several other high-upside prospects were available to be had. For the most part, the Cubs avoided losing any high-potential player, but that doesn't mean they got off the hook completely, as several Cubs Minor Leaguers were taken. Richard Gallardo was the first of those players, taken by the Blue Jays in Round One, but the list goes on from there. Toronto must love the Cubs system as they turned around and grabbed OF Jacob Wetzel from the Cubs in round two, giving them two former Cubs in two rounds. You also had the Cardinals grabbing RHP Angel Gonzalez from the South Bend Cubs in the second round, as the Cubs organization was on track to lose more players than in previous drafts. Fortunately, those were the only three players taken in the Rule 5 draft, and the Cubs once again avoided any significant losses and were able to hang on to some of their more intriguing under-the-radar guys. Despite losing three guys, the Cubs also found a way to come away with another prospect as they selected San Francisco Giants RHP Will Jensen in the first round of the Minor League Rule 5 draft. A 28th-round pick by the Oakland A's in the 2019 MLB draft, Jensen has been a Minor League lifer up to this point and will now be taking his talents to the Cubs organization. Despite failing to pitch higher than AA up to this point, Jensen has put together an outstanding career, going 26-13 across 115 games and posting a 3.35 ERA. A large chunk of those games came in relief with only 46 starts, but you can see the overall upside with him. Looking back at last season, and you have a guy who appeared in 32 games, going 4-5 in those games with an ERA in the mid-3.00s. His 27BB to 99K ratio is also promising as the Cubs hope to maximize his talents this upcoming season. Sticking with the pitchers' theme, the Cubs continued to add Minor League pitching depth in the second round of the Minor League Rule 5 phase and drafted New York Mets RHP Nolan Clenney. Like Jensen, who was taken in round one, Clenney has only a handful of games pitched at AAA but is set to begin next season with Iowa. Since breaking into the league in 2021, Clenney has been a relief-only guy, pitching in 110 games with only two starts. His overall 10-11 record isn't bad, but the 5.11 ERA is very concerning. Despite going 5-1 in AA last season, Clenney still had trouble getting guys out, posting a 5.36 ERA. From a command side of things, his 15 walks to 60 strikeouts were a good sign, and the Cubs are hoping that is just the beginning for him. The Cubs made it three for three when selecting pitchers and plucked Boston Red Sox RHP Robert Kwiatkowski in the third round. Again, an upside play, Kwiatkowski was an undrafted free agent from Marshall in 2021 and has done a great job turning himself into a reliable option. Another relief-only arm, Kwiatkowski, has had a great career and has posted a 22-7 record to go with a 3.91 ERA since breaking into the league. That includes an incredible 13-2 showing across 36 games last season and posting a 2.86 ERA to go with it. Just like the previous names mentioned above, Kwiatkowski is a relief first guy who will bring some much-needed depth to the Cubs AAA staff. He walked 25 and struck out 71 as he continues to prove his worth in the pen. These three guys will be counted on this season, and Kwiatkowski has the best chance of being called up this year. If anything, these three will make up for the three players lost, as all three played a role in the Cubs' success in the Minors. Gallardo is coming off an 0-2 season in which he posted a 5.50 ERA in 5 games and will finish his Cubs tenure at 14-27 with a 4.35 ERA. Wetzel has been with the Cubs since 2021 and was a .228 hitter during his time. However, he seemed to be figuring things out last season as he hit .253 in 91 games to go with eight homers, 43 RBIs, and 19 steals. The lesser of the names is Gonzalez, who made a living in High-A South Bend last season. Signed to the organization in 2021, Gonzalez appeared in 113 career games, going 8-10 with a 6.81 ERA. That included 33 games this past season, where he went 3-4 with a 7.94 ERA.
