Thursday’s Rule 5 Draft was not the bargain-basement shopping spree most people thought it would be. Rather than teams fighting over doorbusters, just 18 players were taken in the major league portion of the draft. The Cubs accounted for one of those, selecting right-handed pitcher Gray Fenter from the Orioles. They took two more righties during the minor league portion of the draft, picking Nicholas Padilla from the Rays and Samuel Reyes from the Pirates.
Probably not coincidentally, all three pitchers have the similar profiles. All are righties, all are at somewhat advanced ages for their respective levels, and all throw in the mid-90’s with vicious spin on their breaking balls.