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Rangers: Three Rule 5 draft prospects team should consider

By Ethan Worley |
Dec 14, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; A general view of the Rule 5 Draft during the MLB winter meetings at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; A general view of the Rule 5 Draft during the MLB winter meetings at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
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The Texas Rangers should look to the Rule 5 draft to find much needed upgrades for the roster heading into 2021.

The Rule 5 draft, set for December 10th, will give the Texas Rangers an opportunity to add young players that could immediately contribute to the team.

The draft pool consists of any players that were not put on a 40-man roster within five years of being signed at 18 years old or younger, or four years if they were signed at age 19 or older.

For a team to make a pick, the team must have a spot on their 40-man roster and pay $100,000 to the original team. Then, the player must remain on the active roster the entire season or be returned to the original team.

The Rule 5 draft will give new GM Chris Young a great opportunity to continue building for the future early in his tenure following the trade of Lance Lynn to the Chicago White Sox.  With the Lynn deal leaving a hole in an already weak rotation, the Rule 5 draft could provide the perfect opportunity to add to the rotation.

The Rangers might also look to improve their hitting following a year where they were near the bottom of the league in almost every statistical category.

Here are three players the Rangers should target in the Rule 5 draft on Thursday.

1) Packy Naughton

(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

Packy Naughton is a 24-year old left handed starter currently in the Los Angeles Angels organization.  He is listed as Los Angeles’ 12th best prospect and could be a valuable pickup for the Texas Rangers.

He spent 2019 between Class A advanced and Double-A, putting up impressive stats in both leagues.

Starting in High-A, Naughton put up an impressive 2.63 ERA with a 5.56 K/BB ratio.  After being promoted to Double-A, he continued his impressive pitching, throwing to a 3.66 ERA through 105.2 innings.  While his strikeout per nine innings ratio fell to 6.9 in Double-A, he kept his walk rate low, only allowing 2.2 walks per nine innings.

With Lance Lynn gone, Kyle Cody is the only starting pitcher left from 2020 with a sub-5 ERA.  While Dane Dunning will take one of the spots in the rotation, the current rotation is weak enough that Naughton could earn a spot given the chance.

2) Omar Estevez

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Omar Estevez is a 22-year old 2B/SS in the LA Dodgers organization. Estevez is also among those expected be selected on Thursday. The Rangers have the second overall pick in the Rule 5 draft, and if they want Estevez, they will probably need to use an early pick to select him.

Estevez rose up the minor league ranks quickly.  He debuted in the Dodgers minor league system at just 18 years old, jumping right into A-ball.

After spending the 2016 season in A-ball, Estevez played at High-A in 2017 and 2018.  He spent all of 2019 in Double-A, except for a brief rehab stint in the Arizona League, hitting an impressive .291/.352/.431 that season.

His ability to hit for contact is needed in the Rangers lineup after they were 29th in batting average in 2020 with a .217 team batting average and a suspect .648 team OPS.

While Isiah Kiner-Falefa is expected to handle primary shortstop duties next year, second base could be a wide open competition after Rougned Odor put up a career-worst .623 OPS and a -0.8 bWAR in 2020.

Omar Estevez could be worth the gamble to help solve the Rangers’ woes at second base.

3) Raudy Read

(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

With the news that the Rangers are trying to add a catcher through free agency, Raudy Read is an option the Rangers should explore outside of free agency.

Raudy Read is the Nationals’ 27th-ranked prospect according to MLB.com, and already has major league experience.

Read spent most of 2019 in Triple-A and showcased his ability to hit for power with a .546 slugging percentage and 20 home runs in 306 at-bats.

The Rangers were 29th in the league in slugging percentage in 2020, so they need any help they can get with power hitting.

While the Rangers already have Jose Trevino and Sam Huff at catcher, it might be worth drafting Read and giving him a shot during spring training due to his strong power hitting ability.

With the relatively small cost of a Rule 5 draft pick and the upside of getting a player on a cheap contract and under team control, the Rangers should look to bolster their roster on Thursday.

With holes almost everywhere on the roster, and 2021 not likely to be competitive, it makes sense more than ever for the Rangers to look at every opportunity to build for the future.

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