December 11, 2008 at 4:09 PM
Sox select Gonzalez in Rule 5 Draft
On Thursday afternoon the Red Sox selected right-handed pitcher Miguel Gonzalez with the 18th pick of the 2008 Rule 5 Draft. Gonzalez throws a decent low 90s fastball with excellent command, as well as a slider and a change-up. He missed all of the 2008 season with a knee injury, but has impressed in the Mexican Pacific League this off-season. Pursuant to Major League Rule 6, he'll need to remain on Boston's 25-man roster (or the disabled list) for the entire 2009 season, or he will need to be offered back to the Angels. Chances are that Gonzalez will not make the team out of spring training, but with relief pitchers, there's aways a chance that the team can catch lightning in a bottle.
In the Triple-A phase, Boston selected pitchers Jason Rice and Miguel Marquez. Both are raw pitchers with a lot of potential, and will likely play in the lower levels of the system next season. Rice played for Kannapolis (CWS) in 2008, and Marquez missed the season with an injury. Marquez was once a well-regarded prospect in the Seattle system.
The Red Sox did not lose any players in the draft.
In other news, the Red Sox sent Beau Vaughan to Texas as a PTBNL in an earlier trade for Wes Littleton. There will reportedly be another PTBNL to complete that deal in the future. One thing that could mean is that that player is a 2008 draft pick, as those players cannot be traded until early January.