Orioles get Cole for Christmas

Our Rangers lost 4 players in MLB’s Rule 5 Minor League Draft. It stinks for the Rangers but Christmas came early for the Baltimore Orioles as they selected Cole Uvila.

Major League Baseball is in a lock down right now but that didn’t stop them from the minor league portion of the Rule-5 draft.

MLB didn’t hold the Major League portion of the Rule-5 due to the lockout. The draft where teams can draft players that were left off the 40-man roster. This draft for the Minor-League phase, any player not on the protected 38-man AAA roster can be selected.

According to MLB rules, any team with a full 38-man AAA roster can’t make a selection. That is one reason the Rangers couldn’t draft anyone. The team that drafts a player must pay $24,500 to the team they drafted the player from, and the team can assign that player to any level.

The Rangers lost infielder Charles Leblanc and right-handed relief pitcher Cole Uvila, both were playing in Triple-A Round Rock. They also lost Down East’s  Low A RHP Abdiel Mendoza, a right-hander from Down East and Nic Laio, a right-hander from Hickory.

Orioles select Cole Uvila

The Orioles selected Cole Uvila, 27. In AA, Cole went 2-2 with 2.90 ERA with 8 saves in 31 innings before being promoted to AAA where he went 0-0 with a 8.74 ERA in 22.2 innings. Orioles fans will realize that they aren't really getting Cole for Christmas, they are getting a spin-rate machine.

Marlins select Charles Leblanc

Charles Leblanc, 25, AAA had a .229 avg in 96 games with 17 HR, 57 RBI, 131 SO.

Blue Jays select Abdiel Mendoza

Abdiel Mendoza, 23, went 1-3 with a 4.95 ERA in 36.1 innings in 10 games in Down East ( Low-A).

Pirates select Nic Laio

Nic Laio, 24, Yr old RHP last in A ball 3-3 5.43 ERA in 56.1 IP in 24 games. Nic went 3-2 with a 2.73 ERA in 10 games in Low A before being promoted to High A where he went 0-1 with a 7.80 ERA in 14 games.

We wish each of these talented players the best of luck with their new organization.