December 6, 2007 at 5:37 PM
Sox pass on Rule 5 Draft
The Red Sox passed on selecting any players in each phase (MLB, AAA, and AA) of this morning's Rule 5 Draft. However, the Sox did lose LHP Jose Capellan to San Francisco and Lincoln Holdzkom to Philadelphia in the MLB phase of the draft. Capellan, a big lefty starter, spent the 2007 season with Lowell, going 4-1 with a 3.69 ERA. He was previously ranked as the #37 prospect in the system. The Red Sox expected that they might have lost Holdzkom, a reliever with a nice fastball but some control issues. He split time in 2007 between Pawtucket and Portland, collectivly going 2-1 with a 2.97 ERA, 54 Ks, and 44 walks. Under Rule 5 of the Major League Rules, Capellan and Holdzkom are requires to spend the entire 2008 season on the 25-man roster of their new teams or must be offered back to the Red Sox. Holdzkom has a good chance of sticking with the Phillies, but look for Capellan to be returned to the Sox organization in April 2008. In addition to losing Capellan and Holdzkom, the Red Sox lost Mauricio Mendez to Pittsburgh in the AAA Phase of the draft. Mendez went 2-1 with a 1.55 ERA in 17 games for the GCL Red Sox in 2007, his fourth season at the Rookie-ball level.