Oakland A's Rule 5 Draft Targets
After finishing with the worst record in baseball in 2023, the Oakland A's will have the first opportunity to select a player in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday. The way this works is that after a player has been in the minors for a certain amount of time (it varies depending on the age they were when they entered professional baseball), if they aren't on a 40-man roster, then they are in the draft pool for the Rule 5 Draft.
The A's have a couple of interesting names of their own that could be taken by other teams on Wednesday in Logan Davidson and Kyle McCann. Davidson is 25 and has spent at least parts of the last three seasons in Double-A, but he hit .264 with a .333 OBP in 61 games with Triple-A Las Vegas in 2023. He doesn't look to be part of the A's plans moving forward, but he has some talent.
McCann could end up serving as Shea Langeliers' backup behind the dish in 2024 unless the A's go with a veteran option, or give the role to top prospect Tyler Soderstrom. He's unprotected, but still valued by the franchise. They are likely thinking that teams won't use a Rule 5 pick to nab a backup catcher.
As for who the A's could end up selecting, let's take a look. Over at Baseball America they have an entire list of intriguing players that could be selected. The five players below are the ones that seem to fit what the A's need the most.
Yesterday I talked about the A's roster situation being difficult to find places to add players that could improve the team in the short-term since they have nearly a full roster of young guys that need experience. With that in mind, the A's will probably be looking for a pitcher that can eat up garbage innings while they assess him, and could move into a bigger role as the season progresses. That said, there is one position player that could be intriguing for Oakland.
DaShawn Keirsey, OF, Twins
Keirsey is a defense-first centerfielder, but he also hit .294 with a .366 OBP between Double-A and Triple-A last season. The 26-year-old is a left-handed bat that also mashed 15 home runs last season in a breakout campaign. He sounds very similar to the profile that Esteury Ruiz had when the A's made him the centerpiece of the Sean Murphy deal. Keirsey even stole 39 bags in 44 attempts.
The playing time may not be consistent, but he would be a nice option that the team could both hide away and also give a look. The A's have Ruiz and JJ Bleday as fairly certain options in the outfield, with Miguel Andújar as a likely option for regular at-bats as well. Seth Brown could be a trade piece, which would open up a spot for Keirsey as the fourth outfielder/defensive replacement.
The big question for the A's would be how close they feel Lawrence Butler or Denzel Clarke are to becoming big-league regulars and how they project the Twins' outfielder. If the answer is fairly soon, then the A's likely pass on Keirsey.
Coleman Crow, RHP, Mets
Crow is a 22-year-old right-handed starter that hasn't pitched above Double-A yet. He's also recovering from Tommy John surgery, so the A's wouldn't be able to use him in 2024, but if they feel that he's a player worth targeting, it would be like acquiring him in a trade for cash considerations (the selecting team must pay $100,000 to the club the player is taken from).
In 24 innings this past season with Double-A, Crow put up a 1.88 ERA with a 0.63 WHIP and 31 strikeouts compared to six walks. Baseball America also noted that he "displayed a significant jump in induced vertical break and overall shape early in the season. He had the biggest year-over-year jump in vertical break and looked like a potential breakout in the making."
If the A's take him, he'd be on the 40-man roster all off-season before they could place him on the 60-day IL, and he'd have to stay on the active roster for 90 days in 2025 before they could option him to the minors.
Austin Pope, RHP, D-Backs
Pope is a 25-year-old righty reliever that sits 94-96. He actually improved once he was promoted to Triple-A last season, posting a 2.45 ERA across 22 innings in the hitter-friendly PCL. He had a 29.3% strikeout rate and an 8.3% walk rate, but he did also hold a 1.55 WHIP. On top of his fastball, Pope also utilizes a curveball which sat 80-82 in his final appearance of the season, and a slider that was 83-87. The fastball was his main offering, throwing it 74% of the time in that outing.
The A's are most likely to go the relief route with their selection, and Pope could be an interesting pickup.
R.J. Dabovich, RHP, Giants
Just read this write-up from Baseball America. This is the type of risk/reward situation even John Fisher could get down for.
"Not long ago, Dabovich was considered one of the best relief prospects in the minor leagues. But he pitched just 2.2 innings for Triple-A Sacramento in 2023 before a right hip impingement ended his season and required surgery. Dabovich made 24 appearances for the River Cats in 2022 and sat 94-96 mph, touching 98-99 mph at peak with above-average ride. He paired his fastball with a plus mid-80s power curveball that missed a ton of bats. Dabovich could stick in a major league pen because of his premium and stuff and upper minors experience if a team believes he can return to full strength by midsummer."
Again, any player the A's take in the MLB portion of the Draft will only cost $100,000. Dabovich seems like a worthy investment even with the low innings total in 2023.
Ryan Fernandez, RHP, Red Sox
Like Dabovich, Fernandez has an injury history that could make teams wary. BA also believes that he could have the best stuff available in the Draft.
"The righthander pairs a four-seam fastball at 94-96 mph touching 97 mph at peak with a cutter at 89-91 mph, a gyro slider in the upper-80s and a power curveball. Fernandez became more reliant on his cutter and fastball combination as 2023 progressed and the cutter became his primary pitch. Despite an inflated ERA, he struck out 25.2% of batters faced over 26 appearances in Triple-A."
That ERA in Triple-A sat at 6.16 in his first taste of the level. Oakland could use some guys with "stuff" and Fernandez has stuff.
The A's roster sits at 39 ahead of Wednesday's Rule 5 Draft, so they have one open roster spot ready for the first overall selection.