Five Interesting Names Taken in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft

Ten players were selected in the MLB phase of the 2023 Rule 5 Draft, as teams look to find unheralded names for their 2024 roster. Unsurprisingly, several names were of interest. Now that the 2023 Rule 5 Draft is complete, here’s our recap of the five names that interested us the most.

Deyvison De Los Santos

Arguably the most notable prospect taken in this year’s Rule 5 Draft was Diamondbacks third baseman Deyvison De Los Santos, who was selected by the Guardians. The young infielder’s shown impressive power in the Minors, as he’s belted 117 career extra-base hits over 1,296 and a career SLG of .471. He’ll strike out a lot, but the raw power makes him a valuable asset.

De Los Santos will begin the 2024 campaign at 20 years of age. Even if the corner infielder can’t accrue regular time in 2024, the plus power and projection make De Los Santos worth the stash.

Shane Drohan

The White Sox selected left-hander Shane Drohan in the Rule 5 Draft from the Red Sox organizations. Drohan ranked #19 in MLB.com‘s ranking of the Red Sox farm system despite a high career walk rate (4.4 BB/9) in the Minors. Drohan has the stuff to beat both lefties and righties, thanks to an eclectic arsenal that includes a plus changeup with nice fade.

Left-handers are hard to come by. While the command can be a concern, Drohan does have a high floor.

Nasim Nunez

The Marlins drafted infielder Nasim Nunez in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft thanks in large part to his plus defensive capabilities. Nunez’s glove has helped carry him through the Marlins’ Minor League system despite a career slash line of .233/.358/.286. The 23-year-old works plenty of walks at the plate — Nunez owns a career BB% rate of 15.9% — but he has very little power.

Nunez was selected by the Nationals, where he’ll likely be a backup infielder for CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia. Don’t expect him to be a starting shortstop, but his speed and defensive prowess make him an intriguing asset.

Matt Sauer

The Yankees lost three pitchers in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft: Mitch Spence (A’s), Carson Coleman (Rangers), and Matt Sauer (Royals). Sauer was a former second-round pick in 2017 who’s posted K/9 rates north of 10.0 in each of the last three seasons. However, command problems do make Sauer — a righty with above-average stuff — a complicated prospect.

Sauer may be a reliever long-term. However, the Royals’ lack of starting pitching depth could mean the 24-year-old gets a look in the rotation at some point. Now, we move on to the last prospect of our 2023 Rule 5 Draft recap.

Justin Slaten

Boston’s had luck with Rule 5 Draft picks in recent years. Current Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock is an example of that. Boston will look to strike yet again with Justin Slaten, a former third-round pick who excelled in the bullpen last season. Across two levels (AA and AAA) in 2023, Slaten struck out 86 over 59.2 IP and sported a career-best 3.02 BB/9.

Slaten was originally selected by the Mets. However, his rights were sent to the Red Sox in a deal that netted New York cash and left-hander Ryan Ammons, a 10th-round pick this past July out of Clemson.