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November 26, 2004
Subject: Preparations for the Rule 5 Draft
There were 31 players on the secondary roster before making any adjustments. This left plenty of room to protect anyone of value that was at risk. I choose to add five players to the roster, leaving room to draft a player on the slim chance that one caught my eye.
Starting pitcher Pedro Castro was added and will be competing for a spot on the active roster in spring training.
Starting pitcher Bill Jackson, who we obtained in the Eddie Payne trade, was added to the secondary roster despite a poor performance at AAA (9-14, 5.60) last year simply because he is the third best left-handed starter in our system. He was a threat to be picked off in the draft because he is only 24 and OSA really likes him.
First baseman Alfredo Rivera was protected, even though he is 31 years old, because he is the only first baseman in the system capable of holding his own against major league pitching. I almost put him on the roster last year after the injury to Brown, but it was a short-term injury and I was afraid that Rivera would refuse demotion after Brown returned. Rivera hit .315 with 27 home runs at Lexington last season.
Second baseman Ray Holliday hit .296 at Lexington last year and gives us some depth at the position. Holliday has three options left and is only 25 years old. The stats alone would have made him an attractive Rule 5 target.
Guillermo Romano is a slick-fielding but light-hitting shortstop. He is the most attractive of the poor crop of shortstops in our system, so I protected him. He is the only utility infielder on the roster other than Aponte, since Holliday can only play second base.
There were no exposed outfielders worth protecting, so I will go into the draft with only the five major league outfielders on the secondary roster. Pedro Dominguez was not added because he didn’t need to be protected. He will be added prior to spring training. I may also add a seventh outfielder at some point, but there is no urgency to do that.
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