The Rule 5 Draft was held today, which usually closes out the week of Winter Meetings before teams check out and head home. Players not on a team's 40-man roster may be selected by other teams at the cost of $50,000, but the only catch is the player must remain on the big league 25-man roster for the entire following season, but if he's sent down he's exposed to waivers, or offered back to his original team for $25,000. For the relatively low price of this procedure, it's a good way to acquire talent if you can afford having an inexperienced guy take up a roster spot all year. Josh Hamilton, Johan Santana, and Roberto Clemente are examples of players taken in the Rule 5 Draft, but they are the exception rather than the rule. Most players are guys that take up bench roles or long reliever jobs in the bullpen. Some players don't even make the cut in Spring Training and end up back with their original team before the season even starts.
Despite having one of the game's best farm systems, the Rangers did not lose any of their unprotected players to other teams this year.
The Rangers did not take a player with their 23rd pick, but did end up with some new blood. The Cubs selected Angels pitcher Mason Tobin with the seventh pick, then sold him to the Rangers.
Tobin will go into Spring Training trying to make the club as a reliever. He's right handed, 6' 4", 220 lbs and has a mid-90's fastball and good breaking pitch. He had Tommy John surgery in April 2009.
This is a good low-risk, potentially high reward move. Tobin's arrival puts the 40-man roster at the limit, and another player will need to be dropped for the Rangers to sign a free agent.
No word on if Tobin is related to the author of "Tobin's Spirit Guide" from the Ghostbusters movies.
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