The New York Yankees and New York Mets each selected two players during today Rule 5 Draft, held on the final day of the Baseball Winter Meetings.
Selected players must remain on the claiming team’s active roster or disabled list the entire season or be offered back to his original team for $25,000 — half of the claiming fee.
In need of inexpensive roster depth, selected infielder Brad Eamus, 24, from Toronto’s system and relief pitcher Pedro Beato, 24, from Baltimore. Eamus hit .298 with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs in 87 games last season. Beato went 4-0 with 16 saves and a 2.11 ERA for Baltimore’s Double-A Bowie affiliate. The 6-foot-6, 230-pound right-hander struck out 50 batters and walked 19 in 59 2/3 innings. He could stick in a Mets’ bullpen that needs help.
The Mets lost single-A right-hander Elvin Ramirez.
Rule 5 picks general don’t have much of an opportunity with the Bronx Bombers, but GM Brian Cashman took fliers on a couple of young pitchers who will be given opportunties to earn spots in the bullpen. The Yankees selected left-hander Robert Fish from the Angels and right-hander Daniel Turpen from the Red Sox.
Fish, 22, is a hard-throwing lefty who was 5-5 with a 6.79 ERA and two saves in 49 relief appearances with Class A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Arkansas in 2009.
Turpen, 24, was 7-6 with a 4.30 ERA and four saves in 49 relief appearances for Double-A Richmond in the Giants’ system and Double-A Portland in the Red Sox’s organization this year.
The Yankees lost George Kontos, a 25-year-old left-hander and right-hander Lance Pendleton. Both were AAA players.