Fangraphs predicts Atlanta takes a utility defender in the Rule 5 draft

After last week's non-tender decisions and preceding trades, the Atlanta Braves opened ten roster spots on the 40-man roster. The signing of Reynaldo López brings the roster total to only 31, meaning Atlanta's in the rare position of both having a stable, high-performing core of players and having open roster spots to add a player in the Rule 5 draft.

As a refresher on how the Rule 5 draft works, the actual event will take place on December 6th at the winter meetings in Nashville. Teams will have the opportunity to select eligible players (a player must be either four or five years removed from entering professional baseball - four years if signing at age 19 or older, five years if signing at or below age 18 - and not currently on a 40-man roster). Any selections in the Major League phase cost the selecting team a $100,000 fee, and that player is required to be carried on the 26-man MLB roster all season or offered back to their original organization for $50,000.

The Braves aren't typically a team that participates in the Rule 5 draft, as they typically don't have the space for a player to be on the major league team to "learn on the job".

But this season might be different - Atlanta traded away seven players last week, including utility defenders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake. And Eric Longenhagen, writing over at Fangraphs, thinks the Braves may make a rare Rule 5 draft selection next month.

It’s incredible that the Braves have one quarter of their roster to play with and also have a very stable, contender-quality depth chart. They have a great player at virtually every position and lots of pitching depth already in place. They have a very spacious roster but only a few specific needs. They’re in position to make a Rule 5 Draft pick if they want to, and in what will likely be the lone bit of Rule 5 speculation you’ll see on this site, I’ll offer that Suwanee native Nasim Nuñez has a skill set congruent with Atlanta’s needs.

(emphasis added).

Nuñez, a 2nd-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins, wasn't protected by Miami despite having superb defensive acumen for a simple reason: He can't hit.

Longenhagen's own scouting report on Nuñez, submitted at the start of last season, made this point clear.

"While he shows plus plate discipline and about average bat-to-ball feel, Nuñez’s total lack of physicality is going to make it tough for him to play a big role. He’s much more likely to be a defensive replacement than a heavily used utilityman or part-time starter" Longenhagen wrote, and the 2023 season for Nuñez didn't dispel that notion.

Spending the entire season in AA Pensacola, Nuñez batted .225/.341/.286 with only 18 extra-base hits (five homers) in 125 games. But to Longenhagen's point about his plate discipline, he also drew 87 walks and chipped in stole 52 bases (in 9 attempts).

Nuñez didn't fare much better in this year's Arizona Fall League, batting .253 with no homers and only three doubles in 20 games for Peoria.

It's unknown whether or not Nuñez will ever hit at the major league level, but considering Atlanta's minor league coaches have gotten to see Nuñez up close and personal (AA Mississippi is in the same minor league, the Southern League, as Pensacola), they'd at least have an idea of if he'd be a fit in Atlanta as a minimum salary utility option in the infield.

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