LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Major League Baseball's Rule 5 Draft was on the minds of many on Day 3 of the Winter Meetings. Many expect the Rays to lose two players, catcher Nick Ciuffo and right-hander Burch Smith, by the time the Major League phase is completed Thursday morning.
Both players were left unprotected on the Rays' 40-man roster, which would open the door for another team to select either or both. If a Major League team does claim either player, it would pay the Rays a fee of $100,000 and would have to keep the player on its 25-man active Major League roster for the length of the season.