Article: Rule 5 Results: Twins Take Miguel Diaz, Likely To Trade

[Seth Stohs]

With the first overall pick in the Rule 5 draft, the Twins selected RHP Miguel Diaz from the Milwaukee Brewers. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo notes that it is expected that he will be traded to the San Diego Padres. Mike Berardino says the Twins will get RH SP Justin Haley from the Angels. It turns out that both were right.

 

The Cincinnati Reds selected catcher Stuart Turner with their 2nd Rule 5 pick of the MLB draft.

 

Each year, MLB has its Rule 5 draft on the final day of the Winter Meetings. Players eligible for the draft include guys signed at 19 years old or older in 2013, or guys that signed when they were 18 or under in 2012. It costs $100,000 to make a pick, and that player needs to remain with the team that selected him through the 2017 season.Miguel Diaz is a 6-1, 175 pound right-hander went 1-8 for Wisconsin in the Midwest League last year. He had 91 strikeouts in 94+ innings. He is 22 years old.

 

Following the draft, the Twins announced that they had traded the right-hander to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Justin Haley and a Player To Be Named Later or Cash considerations. Haley had been the eight pick in the Rule 5 draft by the Angels.

 

Haley began the day, in the Domican Republic, no less, as a member of the Boston Red Sox organization. He was the Angels Rule 5 pick, but they traded him to San Diego who then traded him to the Twins.

 

Justin Haley is a 25-year-old right-handed starting pitcher. It's rare to find starting pitching available in the Rule 5 draft. Last year for AA Portland, he went 5-4 with a 2.20 ERA in 12 starts. In 61.1 innings he walked 19 and struck out 59. He moved up to AAA Pawtucket where he went 8-6 with a 3.59 ERA. In 85.1 innings, he walked 26 and struck out 67 batters. He's got four pitches, with a low-90s fastball a decent changeup and OK fastball and sliders, according to reports.

 

Here is a look at his fastball/slider combination.

 

From Pedro Moura, beat writer for the Angels, the Twins will get Haley for Cash.

 

 

Losing Stuart Turner is too bad. The Twins just signed Jason Castro for three years. They have John Ryan Murphy as a backup option, and Mitch Garver has passed Turner on the depth chart as well. Garver was added to the roster. So, it stinks to lose a defensive talent like Turner, but when deciding who to add, and thinking about who they could afford to lose, they likely chose pitching over their #4 catcher.

 

The Twins did not select anyone in the AAA portion of the Rule 5 draft. They also did not lose anyone

 

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[whosafraidofluigirussolo]

Apparently the Padres at #3 took a player who hasn't played above rookie ball:

http://twitter.com/jjcoop36/status/806861913418305536

 

Hoping/assuming that guy isn't the return for trading the 1st pick to San Diego...

[purppride1]

If we get something else as well, I'd be OK with getting the San Diego pick. Not sure how we keep him though...

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2016/10/16/13297764/2016-sickels-sleeper-allen-cordoba

 

[olivia11]

Berardino reports Twins are trading Diaz for RHP Justin Haley (Angels selection).

[Han Joelo]

Reds took Stuart Turner.

[nicksaviking]

The Reds took two position players. I'd guess the odds that Stuart is back with the Twins is probably quite a bit higher than 50%.

[nicksaviking]

 

Berardino reports Twins are trading Diaz for RHP Justin Haley (Angels selection).

 

Typically if you have the number 1 pick and trade down to the number 10 pick there is additional compensation.

 

There sure better be here, I just checked Haley's stats and yawned. Maybe he'll miss some bats with a move to the pen.

[redstorm]

He does have kind of a cool delivery. Almost like he's in an old western and he's drawing his gun and firing it to the plate.

 

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=1043155583&sid=milb

[Steve Lein]

So the Twins just traded the #1 pick for the #10 pick?

 

I don't think that's how this works...

[clone52]

 

So the Twins just traded the #1 pick for the #10 pick?

 

I don't think that's how this works...

 

I would imagine there is cash or international signing pool dollars involved.

[Steve Lein]

 

I would imagine there is cash or international signing pool dollars involved.

 

Exactly the type of thing I would be alluding to...

[nicksaviking]

 

I would imagine there is cash or international signing pool dollars involved.

 

If it's the first one we're going to have riots here.

 

*****Moderator Warning******

 

If it's the first one, do not riot here, do it in the streets.

[clone52]

 

If it's the first one we're going to have riots here.

 

*****Moderator Warning******

 

If it's the first one, do not riot here, do it in the streets.

 

Rioting would be stupid.  Maybe the Twins wanted Haley all along and just made this deal to get the extra cash on top of it.

[Mike Sixel]

I'm hoping for international signing dollars. Cash is just money in their pocket.

[gmarais66]

The Angels traded Haley to the Twins for cash, not for Diaz. Diaz is expected to be traded later.

[KirbyHawk75]

The Angels traded Haley to the Twins for cash, not for Diaz. Diaz is expected to be traded later.

Thanks for the clarification.

[SirLoin]

So does Haley have to be on the 25 man roster all season since he was traded to us?  If not, how do teams not collude more often to swap Rule V picks?

[Otto von Ballpark]

I can't see the full article as a non-subscriber, but only 2 of the top 12 "Cream of the Crop" guys from this BA preview were actually selected -- Haley and Tyler Webb:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/rule-5-draft-expanded-preview/#tK2STbKIPtrI1qYh.97

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

So does Haley have to be on the 25 man roster all season since he was traded to us?  If not, how do teams not collude more often to swap Rule V picks?

Yes, he still retains his Rule 5 restrictions. He only loses them if we make a deal with his original team (the one he would revert back to if we don't keep him on the 25-man).

[brvama]

I'm hoping for international signing dollars. Cash is just money in their pocket.

 

Exactly. In the grand scheme of things, cash, unless it's substantial ($200k), is pennies. It would seem to me that you then pick the player you want. If it's not signing dollars my head will itch a bit.

[Bob Sacamento]

 

I can't see the full article as a non-subscriber, but only 2 of the top 12 "Cream of the Crop" guys from this BA preview were actually selected -- Haley and Tyler Webb:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/rule-5-draft-expanded-preview/#tK2STbKIPtrI1qYh.97

Not a bad report on Haley by BA:

 

Haley is the owner of possibly the coolest pre-pitch setups in the minors. He sets up on the third-base side of the rubber, with his other foot straddling the rubber. With the ball in his glove raised in front of his face, he looks in for the sign with his pitching hand cocked at his waist, fingers dancing back and forth like Wyatt Earp ready to draw. He gets the sign for the pitch and then locks, loads and fires. As a starter, Haley’s velocity ticked up as the season warmed up. Late in the season he was sitting 90-92, but his fastball plays up because he locates it well. He also has an above-average slider as well as a useable curveball and changeup. He was dominant in Double-A this year and solid in Triple-A as a starter. Because he has Triple-A experience and feel, and he’s been impressive in the Dominican Republic this fall with Escogido (2-0, 0.38, 24 IP, 12 H, 4 BB, 14 SO), Haley has made a pretty strong case to be picked.
 

[Dave The Dastardly]

 

I'm giddy.

 

Is that a picture of the pitcher Diaz with a 1-8 record? If so, how come he's holding a bat? Did his former coach force him to carry a bat around to remind him that's what he's supposed to miss when pitching?

[Bob Sacamento]

Reports on Miguel Diaz via BA:

 

Diaz missed a lot of time in 2015 with an avulsion fracture in his pitching elbow, but he returned to action before the season ended and his stuff was every bit as good as before–a lively 93-95 mph fastball and solid secondaries.
 

He was the #25 Brewers prospect heading into the 2016 season:

 

Diaz landed firmly on the Brewers' prospect radar in 2014 with a strong showing in the Rookie-level Arizona League. Despite his smallish size, he showed a big arm with a fastball consistently in the mid-90s and a high strikeout rate. The Brewers expected more big things in 2015, but Diaz suffered an avulsion fracture in his pitching elbow before getting out of spring training. He had surgery in mid-March and didn't get into a game until the end of July. Still just 21, Diaz has time to get back on track. When healthy, he features a live, loose arm with an explosive fastball that gets on hitters in a hurry. His No. 2 pitch is a slider he throws in the high 70s and keeps hitters off his heater. He has worked on a changeup that needs refinement and more differentiation in velocity from his fastball. Diaz throws from a high three-quarters arm slot and at times has issues repeating his delivery. The Brewers would love for Diaz to see time at low Class A Wisconsin in 2016 to see if he can develop his changeup and remain a potential starter.

[SirLoin]

 

Yes, he still retains his Rule 5 restrictions. He only loses them if we make a deal with his original team (the one he would revert back to if we don't keep him on the 25-man).

 

Thanks Bro!

 

[bluechipper]

I'm giddy.

 

Is that a picture of the pitcher Diaz with a 1-8 record? If so, how come he's holding a bat? Did his former coach force him to carry a bat around to remind him that's what he's supposed to miss when pitching?

Not sure if joking, but that's Stuart Turner.

[Platoon]

If it's the first one we're going to have riots here.

 

*****Moderator Warning******

 

If it's the first one, do not riot here, do it in the streets.

I was just outside with shorts on. I can say with certainty that there will be little rioting in the streets today. And since I don't tweet, I will do as I usually do, complain bitterly to my wife!

[mikelink45]

I just saw the confusion on the picture and thought this was a good time to add a request.  Often on TD there is a picture with expectations that we will know who is in it, but most of us do not have that high a face recognition hardware and it would be great if all the photos used had captions.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I just saw the confusion on the picture and thought this was a good time to add a request.  Often on TD there is a picture with expectations that we will know who is in it, but most of us do not have that high a face recognition hardware and it would be great if all the photos used had captions.

 

+10000000000

[ashbury]

Reds took Stuart Turner.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say we get him back via Rule 5's methods, before next off-season. The Reds also took a Yankees catcher in the first round, and probably they are thinking they will try to keep one or the other but not both. Since more than half of Rule 5 picks get offered back anyway, or a trade is worked out satisfactory to both teams, and Turner was apparently the Reds' second choice, I'll be surprised if he sticks. 

 

Particularly since he managed only a .646 OPS in AA last year. His bat's just not ready, and has low upside at best, so it'll be hard to keep a glove-only catcher all year.

[Rosterman]

Well, if the Reds carry a third catcher, Turner will stay. Otherwise, don't see him as just a bench bat.

 

Interesting that the Twins didn't get raided in the minor league portion of the draft.

 

So, we still have Wheeler and Baxendale. Not that either are top prospects in the system, but they do give us depth at Rochester and Baxendale is...interesting.