The All-Time Rule 5 Draft Team

The Rule 5 Draft.  One of the most misunderstood parts of Major League Baseball.  I have been intrigued each year when the draft occurs - unlike my colleague Jimmy, I believe it has relevance.  To explain the Rule 5 Draft, it's fairly simple.  Teams carry 25 man rosters through most of the active MLB season - your regular MLB roster.  The 40 man roster features minor league depth (MiLB free agents, top prospects and protected players).  At a certain point in the offseason, teams must set their 40 man rosters and protect minor leaguers who might be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.  The requirements are slightly hard to explain, but it's mostly international players with 5 years who aren't protected and drafted players with 4 years and are not on a 40 man roster.  Teams can take a player, bring them to camp and place them on the 25 man roster for the whole year, otherwise it must offer the player back to the original team for $25,000.  Now, I present, the All-Time Rule 5 Draft Team - and it can compete, especially in 2013 with it's starting rotation.

Starting Offense
C Jody Davis
1B Darrell Evans
2B Dan Uggla
SS Everth Cabrera
3B Bobby Bonilla
OF Roberto Clemente
OF Josh Hamilton
OF Jayson Werth
DH Jose Bautista

Some big names, notably HOF Roberto Clemente.  I had a tough time finding both a catcher and a shortstop.  Davis was a 2X All-Star and a Gold Glove winner with the Cubs.  Evans hit over 400 HR's, and is Bill James' most underrated player of all time.  Uggla is already in top 10 all-time for 2B HR's.  Everth Cabrera was like my only option for SS. Bonilla was a feared hitter in the 1980s.  Hamilton, Werth and Bautista are some of the top hitters today.

Bench
C Ronny Paulino
IF Cecil Cooper
OF Shane Victorino
UTIL Frank Catalanotto

Cooper almost was 1B.  Victorino has been solid and Catalanotto was a true utility man.

Starting Pitching
SP Johan Santana
SP RA Dickey
SP Ivan Nova
SP Alexi Ogando
SP Miguel Batista

Here we have 2 Cy Young Award winners in Dickey and Santana.  Nova and Ogando are both solid young arms for the Rangers and Yankees.  Batista got the nod over Mike Morgan due to the fact that he is still playing....barely.  This rotation can compete in 2013, legitimately.

Bullpen
Long Relief Mike Morgan
LH Specialist Javier Lopez
Set-Up Jeff Nelson
Set-Up John Wetteland
Set-Up Willie Hernandez
Set-Up Mitch Williams
Closer Joakim Soria

Morgan is known for being well-traveled, and Octavio Dotel just beat him out for most all-time teams played.  Morgan played for 12 teams, both in the rotation and bullpen, which makes him perfect long relief.  Lopez just beat out Mike Myers, as he is the premier LHS today.  Nelson was rock solid for the late 90's Yankees and earned an AS appearance in 2001.  Wetteland, Hernandez and Williams were all closers, and good ones, regardless of Mitch Williams' postseason performance.  Hernandez won the NL MVP AND Cy Young in 1984! Soria gets the nod at closer.

So, the next time the Rule 5 Draft is questioned, point to this all-Rule 5 draft team.  Pretty solid.  It's relevance has been reduced (Josh Fields and/or Chris McGuiness might be the only players with a legit shot at an MLB roster spot, especially Fields) but you can find a hidden gem.

Honorable Mentions: Scott Diamond, Evan Meek, Mike Myers, Fernando Vina, Scott Podsednik, George Bell, Luis Ayala, Willie Upshaw, Jason Grilli, Guillermo Mota

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