Detroit Tigers: Who to take in the Rule 5 draft?

The Detroit Tigers have the first pick in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft and the Tigers are rebuilding. What does that mean for Tigers going into the Rule 5 draft?

The Rule 5 draft allows a team to select an exposed minor leaguer for $50,000.  That player must remain on the 25-man roster for the entire season, or be returned to his original team for $25,000.

For the Detroit Tigers, the draft strategy is pretty simple. They can 1.) draft someone who fills an immediate role, or 2.) draft a player with raw talent and a high ceiling. The kind of player that requires investment for a payoff. According to Tigers’ GM Al Avila the team won’t make a final decision on who they’re drafting until tomorrow night.

Given the options the Detroit Tigers have, let’s look at 5 potential picks they can make using their overall number one pick. The Tigers have obvious needs-such as the bullpen or a role player. Each of these players can fill that role, whether its next season or by 2020.

Demeritte was drafted in the first round of the 2013 draft by the Texas Rangers, then in 2016 he was sent to the Atlanta Braves in a mid-season trade.

He had a hot 2016 batting .266/.361/.554 over 530 plate appearances, hitting a combined 28 home runs, 17 stolen bases, 29 doubles, and 9 triples between the Rangers and Braves farm system. At the end of the 2016 season, Baseball America had him as the 19th best prospect in the Braves system.

2017 saw Travis Demeritte cooling off while hitting .231/.306/.402 over 458 at-bats, hitting 15 home runs, collecting 5 stolen bases, 21 doubles, and 6 triples in the Braves Farm System.  The Braves have one of the best farm systems in the leauge now, and Demeritte is nowhere to be found in the Brave’s Top 30 prospect’s list on MLB.com. It’s no surprise then, that the Brave’s left him exposed to the Rule 5 draft.

With the Detroit Tigers actively shopping Ian Kinsler, he could provide depth at second base for the team.

Ryan O’Hearn was once a top 10 prospect for the Kanas City Royals, now he finds himself exposed to the Rule 5 draft.

Its possible the Royals don’t see O’Hearn as MLB ready. His line of .252/.325/.450 across 114 games at the AAA level isn’t all the impressive. His 2017 was disappointing overall as he posted a  .253/.330/.455 slash line over a combined 133 games at Double- and Triple-A.

Given that Eric Hosmer is a free agent, all signs point to the Royals not having faith in O’Hearn being MLB ready, as Samir Duenez as become the first-base prospect to watch in Kansas City.

O’Hearns’ career slash line show that the potential is still there for him to become an MLB player, however he would be the kind of player that the Tigers would have to invest in and hope he is MLB  ready in 2019 or 2020.

The 22-year-old was once considered a top-10 prospect for the Chicago Cubs, now he finds himself exposed in the Rule 5 draft.

The Cubs selected him in the 13th Round of the 2013 draft, and Minor League Ball had him on their 2017 Prospect Watch List. After posting a 2.72 ERA in High Single-A Ball in 2016, Clifton found himself struggling in AA Ball. In 2017, he posted a 5.21 ERA while striking out 86 and walking 45 with the Tennessee Smokies.

As of December 8th he was considered to be a Top 10 Prospect for the Cubs, but the Cubs exposing him in the Rule 5 draft and the recent acquisition of Drew Smyly by the Cubs doesn’t bode well for him in the Cubs Organization.

The Tigers could take a flyer on him and see how he does in the bullpen. However, there have been rumblings of interest in Michael Fulmer. So, a draft of Clifton could somehow result in him being in the big leagues by 2019.

The Blue Jays drafted Pentecost in the first round of the 2011, and was a top 10 prospect for the organization. But injuries have led to him being exposed in the Rule 5 draft.

Our own Andy Patton gave you plenty of reasons why he’d be a good fit for the Detroit Tigers. You can read the full article here.

Notably, aside from James McCann the Detroit Tigers are pretty thin in the catchers spot. But, the Tigers aren’t the only ones-there’s only 60 catching jobs in all of Major League Baseball.

Despite the lack of starting jobs, Pentecost suffered a shoulder injury in 2014. Followed by another injury in 2015 that cost him his season. 2016 saw him as a designated hitter. Last season saw Pentecost only playing 22 games behind the plate.

The Detroit Tigers will have to decide if the injuries and lack of time behind the plate in the last three years is worth the risk for the team.