MLB Rule 5 Draft 2015 Results: Team-by-Team Breakdown

The 2015 Major League Baseball Rule 5 draft has come and gone without a lot of activity, which was expected, but there were still a handful of players on the move looking to make their mark with a new organization. 

By virtue of having MLB's worst record last season, the Philadelphia Phillies owned the first overall pick and selected Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Tyler Goeddel on Thursday. The Cincinnati Reds followed by taking Jake Cave from the New York Yankees system, with the entire list of players taken here, per MLB.com:

Goeddel Gives Phillies OF Option

Goeddel was once highly regarded in the Rays system. He was taken with the 41st overall pick in 2011 out of St. Francis, California, but he has been slow to develop with the bat. 

The good news for the Phillies is Goeddel's hitting numbers in the minors have improved in each of the last three years. He finished 2015 with a .279/.350/.433 slash line in 123 games at Double-A at the age of 22. (He turned 23 on Oct. 20.)

There's still physical projection left for Goeddel at 6'4" and 186 pounds, though time is running out for him to add more bulk to tap into his raw power. 

MLB.com had Goeddel ranked No. 24 in Tampa Bay's system, noting he still has "a ways to go" before reaching the MLB level while also giving praise to his hitting ability:

Goeddel was projectable and athletic when the Rays drafted him in 2011 and he's still working to hone his raw tools. He has a loose, line drive swing that should lend itself to hitting for more power once he physically matures. He knows how to use his speed on the bases and has stolen at least 20 bases in each of his first three professional seasons.

The Phillies are in a perfect position to take advantage of Goeddel's talents because they have no expectations right now. This franchise is in rebuilding mode, getting a tremendous haul from Houston for closer Ken Giles on Wednesday, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. 

Goeddel may not be ready for the big leagues at this point in his development, but the Phillies are in a much better position to let him compete for a spot on the 25-man roster. If he hits, the team has a cost-effective outfielder who can at least be serviceable until they are ready to contend again and opt for an upgrade through trades or free agency. 

Reds Find Insurance Policy

After Goeddel was off the board, the Reds took their own intriguing outfielder. The 23-year-old Cave was a sixth-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2011 and got to Triple-A late last season. 

Cave has done nothing but hit in the minors, owning a career slash line of .285/.346/.391 in 380 games. The clear problem, evident from those stats, is he doesn't hit for power. If he could even get to fringe-average in-game pop, his ability to handle center field would make him a big leaguer. 

MLB.com's scouting report praises Cave's all-around talent and his ability to work counts in his favor:

Cave flashes all-around ability and draws praise for his constant hustle. He barrels balls and isn't fazed by breaking pitches, so he should hit for average, provided he tightens his strike-zone discipline. There's some question as to whether he can get to average power because most of his pop goes to the gaps, and he homered just nine times in his first 248 pro games. 

The Reds are a terrific landing spot for a player like Cave. General manager Walt Jocketty is in selling mode coming off of a 98-loss season. Todd Frazier and Jay Bruce are perpetually on the trading block, even though neither player has been moved yet.

Billy Hamilton is as much fun to watch as any player in MLB when he gets on base, but the speedster had a .274 on-base percentage and .289 slugging percentage in 2015. Cave's power looks Bryce Harper-esque compared to Hamilton.

As great as Hamilton is with the glove in center field—FanGraphs ranked him third, behind Tampa Bay's Kevin Kiermaier and Kansas City's Lorenzo Cain, in defensive value last year—the Reds cannot afford to have his bat penciled in their lineup every day. 

Cave should be given the chance to start in center field for the Reds next season. He's a better hitter than any other option they have at the position right now, and he's going to make the major league minimum. 

Athletics Get Experienced Blash

Jabari Blash is the kind of player who epitomizes this new era of the Rule 5 draft. He's a 26-year-old career minor leaguer who can be a valuable asset on a team in transition because of his experience at the upper levels. 

An eighth-round pick out of Miami-Dade College by the Seattle Mariners in 2010, Blash has split time over the last two years between Double-A and Triple-A. He did post an intriguing .271/.370/.576 slash line in 116 games across the two levels last season. 

That does come with the caveat of being much older than players he was going against, as well as playing 56 games in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but at least Blash took advantage of his surroundings. 

Power is going to be Blash's calling card, if he's able to carve out any kind of MLB career. Vince Lara-Cinisomo of Baseball America wrote in 2014 that Blash is "raw but extremely athletic and has the kind of tools scouts dream on with a plus arm and power."

Given Blash's advanced age, being raw likely means he will never be able to actualize his talents in games. He also comes with a red flag after being suspended for 50 games in 2014 for a violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

There are enough tools for a team to dream on Blash turning into a bench outfielder who deserves a shot at making a 25-man roster because of his experience at Triple-A, so this is a worthwhile risk for an Oakland Athletics team in need of power. 

Stats per MiLB.com unless otherwise noted.

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