This was an odd news blurb from MLBlogs.com Carrie Muskat:
The Cubs did not plan on taking a player in next week’s Rule 5 Draft but
have apparently lost that selection because of a grievance filed by the
Phillies. In December 2011, the Cubs selected right-hander Lendy
Castillo from the Phillies’ organization. Castillo spent most of the
2012 season on the disabled list with a groin injury, and appeared in 13
games for the Cubs. Any player selected in the Rule 5 Draft must stay
on a team’s active roster for the entire season. To prevent abuse of the
draft, the player selected must be active for at least 90 days. That
keeps teams from selecting players and placing them on the disabled list
for the majority of the season. Castillo missed 91 days in 2012, and
spent all of the 2013 season in the Minor Leagues. The Phillies will
have the Cubs’ selection in the Rule 5 Draft as compensation.
The takeaways:
1. The Cubs roster stands at 38 players. If the Cubs do not plan to add a Rule 5 player at next week's Winter Meetings, then the team is keeping two slots open for potential trade or free agent acquisitions.
2. The Cubs must have broken or at least stretched the rules if the Phillies filed a grievance and the Cubs conceded the point. Castillo had been pitching in the showcase Arizona Fall League so maybe the Phils wanted him back, or more likely, the Phils have someone they really want to pick up in the Rule 5 draft. The Cubs selection is near the top. I thought the Cubs would have tried to pick a flyer on a catcher.
3. Since the Cubs did not return Castillo to the Phillies, as would have been the normal case if a team does not keep a Rule 5 player on their active roster for a full season, that means the Cubs see a future for Castillo. But it hard to see why. In 13 games at the major league level, Castillo had a 7.88 ERA in a relief role. Last season, he regressed and sent to Class A ball where in 30 games, he went 4-5, 5.78 ERA and 1.636 WHIP.
