Cubs Rule 5 Prospects

As we saw last year with Lendy Castillo, Rule 5 players rarely make an impact but there have been a few exceptions over the years (Joakim Soria, Josh Hamilton, Dan Uggla). It's also been rumored that the Cubs have been fielding offers for the 2nd pick, so maybe they will trade the pick for a better prospect that is a few years away and fits better into their competitive timeline (2015 baby!).

As for organizational depth, the Cubs biggest areas of need are starting pitching and corner outfielders. There won't be many starting pitchers available that are even close to major league ready though, so I would expect the cubs to target a lefty hitting OF who could be a bat off the bench this year or a relief pitcher who is almost ready for the bigs (preferably a lefty).

For those unfamiiar with the Rule 5 draft, the player taken has to remain on the team's 25-man roster for the whole season or he is sent back to thier original team. There is some wiggle room though as players can be stashed on the IR with an "injury" or bought from the original team.

The Cubs have the 2nd pick, but unlike most drafts their really is no relaible way to predict who they will take. Last yeat they shocked everyone with thier selection of Lendy Castillo and also lost Ryan Flaherty (Orioles) & Marwin Gonzalez (Astros).

Here is a breakdown of players in order of preference that the Cubs could select:

Ryan Chaffee (RHP)
Throws: Right Age: 24 Team: Angels
After struggling as a starter since being drafted in 2008 (3rd round), Chaffee was switched to the bullpen full-time in 2012. His numbers out of the pen were elite (5.9 H/9, 11.5 K/9, 1.17 WHIP) across high A and AA. It is a small sample size (65 IP) but he throws in the low to mid 90's with a + breaking ball so the stuff and pedigree are there. The Cubs could use him as a mop up guy to start off and eventually transition him into high leverage roles if he continues to pitch well out of the pen.

Josh Fields (RHP)
Throws: Right Age: 27 Team: Red Sox
At 27 he can barely be considered a prospect, but some guys just figure things out a little later than others. Fields averaged 6.2 BB/9 in his minor league career before a subtle change in his delivery allowed him to cut his walk rate to 2.4 BB/9 in 2012 while actually increasing his K rate to 12 per 9 and posting a miniscule .967 WHIP in AA & AAA. If Fields can keep throwing strikes he could be a 6th-7th inning guy right away.

Jeremy Hazelbaker (OF)
Bats: Left Age: 25 Team: Red Sox
Intriguing mix of power and speed (19 HR, 36 STL in 2012), who Epstein should be familiar with since he was drafted by the Red Sox in the 4th round of the 2009 draft. Hazelbaker can play all three OF position and has the physical tools to be an all-star, but lack of plate discipline and inconsistent numbers in the minors make this a high risk / high reward pick When you consider how few Rule 5 players make an impact, all the picks are high risk so why not take the player with the most offensive upside?

John Keck (RHP)
Throws: Left Age: 24 Team:Royals
 A big lefty (6'6) whose plus stuff hasn't translated to solid minor league numbers (career 4.54 era). Keck throws a heavy mid-90s fastball which from a lefty should be enough to keep him on a roster till he's about 38 years old. In the short term he has had some control issues and doesn't strike out as many people as a hard throwing 6'6 lefty should (7.9 K/9 in '12) but his unique skill-set is worthy off a flier and the Cubs are in need of a lefty arm out of the pen to keep Russell's arm from falling off. There are options with higher upside available but Keck fills an immediate need and has the talent to become a valuable lefty out of the pen.

Carlos Perez (LHP)
Throws: Left Age: 21 Team:Braves
 An electric lefty who was a former top prospect in the always loaded Braves system (#5 in 2011), Perez has struggled to harness his dominant stuff. The main problem, as it is with most young pitchers, is control. Perez gave up 6.2 free passes per 9 innings last year which isn't acceptable in the majors. The only reason Perez is on this list is that he was moved to the bullpen in 2012 and responded by striking out 14.7 batters per 9 innings! Those are Rich Hill numbers! (still hurts) Like Lendy Castillo last year, Perez will be hard to keep on the 25-man roster all year but lefty relievers who can strike people out are a premium commodity so it may be worth the gamble.