MLB Rule 5 Draft 2017 Results: Team-by-Team Breakdown

The 2017 MLB Rule 5 draft took place Thursday morning from the MLB winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The Detroit Tigers selected outfielder Victor Reyes from the Arizona Diamondbacks with the first overall pick.

Teams pay $100,000 to take a player during the major league phase of the draft. The choice must remain on the club's 25-man roster for the duration of the 2018 season or he must be offered back to his original organization for $50,000.

Roberto Clemente, Johan Santana, Jose Bautista and Josh Hamilton are among the notable players who became valuable major league assets after being selected in the Rule 5 draft.

Let's check out the complete list of choices in Round 1. That's followed by a closer look at some of the most noteworthy picks. For a full break down of the selections, including the minor league portion of the draft, and post-draft trades, visit MLB's official website.

Round 1 Results

1. Detroit Tigers: Victor Reyes (OF – Diamondbacks)

2. San Francisco Giants: Julian Fernandez (RHP – Rockies)

3. Philadelphia Phillies: Nick Burdi (RHP – Twins) — Later traded to Pirates

4. Chicago White Sox: Carlos Tocci (OF – Phillies) — Later traded to Rangers

5. Cincinnati Reds: Brad Keller (RHP – Diamondbacks) — Later traded to Royals

6. New York Mets: Burch Smith (RHP – Padres) — Later traded to Royals

7. Atlanta Braves: Anyelo Gomez (RHP – Yankees)

8. Pittsburgh Pirates: Jordan Milbrath (RHP – Indians)

9. Baltimore Orioles: Nestor Cortes (LHP – Yankees)

10. Toronto Blue Jays: PASS

11. Miami Marlins: Elieser Hernandez (RHP – Astros)

12. Seattle Mariners: Mike Ford (1B – Yankees)

13. Texas Rangers: PASS

14. Tampa Bay Rays: PASS

15. Los Angeles Angels: Luke Bard (RHP – Twins)

16. Kansas City Royals: PASS

17. St. Louis Cardinals: PASS

18. Minnesota Twins: Tyler Kinley (RHP – Marlins)

19. Milwaukee Brewers: PASS

20. Colorado Rockies: PASS

21. New York Yankees: PASS

22. Chicago Cubs: PASS

23. Arizona Diamondbacks: Albert Suarez (RHP – Giants)

24. Boston Red Sox: PASS

25. Washington Nationals: PASS

26. Houston Astros: Anthony Gose (LHP – Rangers)

27. Cleveland Indians: PASS

Notable Picks

Victor Reyes to Tigers

Reyes spent the entire 2017 season with the Jackson Generals, the D-Backs' Double-A affiliate. He posted a .292/.332/.399 triple-slash line with 29 doubles and 18 stolen bases in 126 games. He owns a career .298 batting average across 561 appearances in the minors.

His combination of speed and versatility in the outfield—he's played at least 87 games at all three outfield spots, including 304 in right field—makes him a prototypical fourth or fifth outfielder if Detroit decides to keep him after spring training.

Kyle Glaser‏ of Baseball America provided some more scouting notes:

The biggest question about his long-term outlook is whether the gap power he showed last season will eventually translate into more home runs. He's tallied just 12 homers during his time in the minor leagues, but he showcased more raw pop in 2017, which adds some intrigue to this pick.

So Reyes, whom MLB.com rated as the No. 18 prospect in the Arizona system, should have a reasonable chance to stick with a Tigers squad needing outfield depth.

Nick Burdi to Phillies (Traded to Pirates)

Burdi possessed a lot of arm talent when the Twins selected him in the second round of the 2014 MLB draft. His future has become more clouded after two injury-plagued years, however, which is why Minnesota left him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft.

The 24-year-old Illinois native was limited to three games in 2016 because of two trips to the disabled list. He returned for the start of the 2017 season but suffered an elbow injury in May that required Tommy John surgery, leaving him without a definitive timetable to return.

Burdi provided a look at his recovery on social media last week:

He was pitching terrific before the latest setback with a 0.53 ERA and 0.77 WHIP across 14 appearances out of the bullpen for the Chattanooga Lookouts in Double-A.

Pittsburgh can stash him on the DL until he's cleared to return, which lessens the initial 25-man roster burden, but it's unclear what type of pitcher he'll be after the injury.

Anthony Gose to Astros

Gose is a name familiar to most baseball fans. He spent five years in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers as an outfielder but struggled with the bat. He compiled a lackluster .240/.309/.348 triple-slash line in 372 games.

He always featured an electric arm in center field. So the 27-year-old left-hander started the process of transitioning to pitcher in the Tigers organization last season. While his 7.59 ERA in 11 games showcased the learning curve, he did strike out 14 batters in 10.2 innings at the Class A Advanced level.

It's a long way from the Lakeland Flying Tigers to the 25-man roster of the reigning World Series champion Astros, though. He'd need to showcase serious improvement during the spring to warrant serious consideration for a roster spot.

Meanwhile, Jake Kaplan‏ of the Houston Chronicle provided a nice tidbit about the pick:

Houston is in a position where it can afford to take a gamble, and it could use another left-handed option out of the pen. It's a long shot, but taking a flier on Gose's upside is worth the investment.