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Detroit Tigers Select Daniel Stumpf in Rule 5 Draft, Two Others in Triple-A Portion of Draft

By Ben Rosener

Aug 8, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers executive vice president and general manager Al Avila before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 8, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers executive vice president and general manager Al Avila before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Detroit Tigers fans haven’t seen the team select many players in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 draft in recent years. However, this year Detroit selected reliever Daniel Stumpf.

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila hasn’t made too many moves this offseason.

Avila flipped Cameron Maybin to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in what has amounted to his most significant move.

In return, Detroit netted intriguing pitching prospect Victor Alcantara. However, outside of that, Avila’s moves have been more about additions to the 40-man roster.

Myles Jaye and Chad Bell, both acquired as a result of last season’s Bryan Holaday deal, where added to the Tigers’ 40-man roster. In the process, reliever Joe Mantiply was lost on waivers to the New York Yankees.

Elsewhere, pitching prospect Sandy Baez joined the 40-man roster.

Now, Avila has made another addition to the 40-man roster, selecting left-handed reliever Daniel Stumpf in Major League Baseball’s annual Rule 5 draft.

Detroit announced the move in a tweet on the team’s official Twitter account, while MLB.com released a full list of draftees from around the league.

Daniel Stumpf

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Should the Tigers keep Stumpf on the team’s active roster all seasons, the reliever will stay with the Detroit organization moving forward.

The former Phillies and Royals farmhand is a former ninth-round pick who reached Triple-A for the first time last season.

Overall, the 25-year-old posted a 3.34 ERA in 29.2 minor league innings last season. He also notched 31 strikeouts while only walking five batters. That equates to 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings and 1.5 walks per nine frames.

While it is certainly too early to tell what kind of player Stumpf will develop into, it is worth pointing out that teams have found gems in the Rule 5 draft before.

Odubel Herrera, Johan Santana, Dan Uggla, Darren O’Day, Shane Victorino and former Tiger Joakim Soria were all selected in the draft at one point or another.

Triple-A Portion

Avila and company also added some minor league depth in the Triple-A portion of the Rule 5 draft.

Per MLB.com’s list of draft picks, Detroit selected right-handed pitcher Sean Donatello from the Miami Marlins. The Tigers also nabbed Brewers minor league outfielder Elvis Rubio.

Donatello recently wrapped up his second full season at the Double-A level, posting a 3.40 ERA in 50.1 relief innings. The 26-year-old also added seven saves.

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While the former 25th-round pick only struck out 4.6 batters per nine innings, he owns a career rate of 7.1 punch outs per nine frames.

In 53.1 innings during the 2014 season, the reliever registered 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

Rubio

Elsewhere, Rubio also joins Detroit’s organization after completing his first season for Advanced-A Brevard County.

Over the course of 125 games in 2016, the 22-year-old collected 102 hits, 46 RBI, 39 runs scored, 21 walks, 13 doubles, eight stolen bases and seven home runs.

Paredes and Sanjur

In terms of players leaving the Detroit Tigers organization, left-handed reliever Edward Paredes was selected by the Dodgers.

Catcher Mario Sanjur, who finished 2016 batting .221 for Connecticut, joined Anaheim’s organization after being taken by the Angels.

Both Paredes and Sanjur were selected in the Triple-A portion of the draft.

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