Allen Cordoba, IF, Miguel Diaz, RHP, and Luis Torrens,
C, San Diego Padres
No one has attacked the Rule 5 draft the way the Padres did this winter, acquiring three of the top selections, all with big-time talent, though it did mean that they cost themselves those roster spots in the process.
Typically teams only want to grab one or perhaps two Rule 5 players due to the difficulty of having one roster spot frozen to that player throughout the season due to the rules of Rule 5. The Padres grabbing all three meant that they would be giving each player some playing time, not just hiding them on the bench to acquire their rights.
Cordoba was probably the most highly-regarded of the trio as a potential prospect, ranking among the top 10 prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals system before his selection, though he’d not yet played above rookie ball. Cordoba has gotten the most run and shown the best of the three, hitting .292/.352/.462 with 3 home runs. He’s played both middle infield positions along with left and center field on the season, even starting 13 of the 27 games he’s appeared in.
Torrens is a gifted catcher defensively that has struggled with injury along the way, losing the entire 2015 season to surgery. His bat was a work in progress in the minors, and that has shown at the big league level, as he’s hit .077 thus far in 28 plate appearances.
Diaz had the most typical Rule 5 profile as a power-armed reliever with a huge fastball and minimal experience in upper level minors. He has predictably struggled with his control, and he’s struggled quite a bit with his fastball straightening out in the zone, giving up an 8.24 ERA on the back of a 12/13 BB/K over 19 2/3 innings. He has allowed 5 home runs, a very high rate for that few innings.