Twins take outfielder in Rule 5 Draft
12/08/2005
DALLAS -- Known for their pitching strength throughout the organization, it's no surprise that in past years the Twins have used many of their selections in the annual Rule 5 Draft on strong arms.
But on Thursday, Minnesota bucked that trend with their selection of outfielder Jason Pridie from the Devil Rays organization in the Major League portion of the draft.
Pridie garnered the attention of the Twins during this year's Arizona Fall League. Pridie batted .232 with one home run and 10 RBIs for the Phoenix Desert Dogs. An athletic runner with some good bat power, the Twins took Pridie, 22, because they felt that he could back up all three outfield spots.
"We have a need in the outfield and we feel he can fill that need at the Major League level," said Vern Followell, the organization's pro scouting coordinator. "He can run, he can throw, and he can play center field some, so it's a good fit for us."
Pridie, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound center fielder, spent most of the 2005 season sidelined by a right knee sprain. He saw only one game of action before heading to the disabled list. Pridie was reinstated from the disabled list on July 26, and was promoted to Double-A Montgomery, where he batted .213 (20-94) with four doubles, two triples, three homers and eight RBIs in 28 games.
A top prospect coming out of high school, there were questions of whether the knee injury was what kept Tampa Bay from protecting Pridie. Followell, though, felt that it was a surplus of outfielders and not the injury that allowed Pridie to be available.
"He's healthy now, as far as we know," Followell said of Pridie. "He certainly ran well and played defense fine when we saw him. He looks 100 percent to us."
A Minor League player three years out of college and four years out of high school that wasn't protected on the 40-man Major League roster was eligible to be selected by another club for $50,000. That player must stay on his new team's 25-man Major League roster for the entire season or be offered back to the old club for $25,000.
Sixty-five players were taken over three phases of the draft this year, but none came from the Twins organization. In addition to selecting Pridie, Minnesota also added three players in the Triple-A portion of the draft. The Twins selected LHP Jose Lugo from Oakland, outfielder Erold Andrus from the Yankees and RHP Alexander Farfan from Cincinnati.
Source: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/
DALLAS -- Known for their pitching strength throughout the organization, it's no surprise that in past years the Twins have used many of their selections in the annual Rule 5 Draft on strong arms.
But on Thursday, Minnesota bucked that trend with their selection of outfielder Jason Pridie from the Devil Rays organization in the Major League portion of the draft.
Pridie garnered the attention of the Twins during this year's Arizona Fall League. Pridie batted .232 with one home run and 10 RBIs for the Phoenix Desert Dogs. An athletic runner with some good bat power, the Twins took Pridie, 22, because they felt that he could back up all three outfield spots.
"We have a need in the outfield and we feel he can fill that need at the Major League level," said Vern Followell, the organization's pro scouting coordinator. "He can run, he can throw, and he can play center field some, so it's a good fit for us."
Pridie, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound center fielder, spent most of the 2005 season sidelined by a right knee sprain. He saw only one game of action before heading to the disabled list. Pridie was reinstated from the disabled list on July 26, and was promoted to Double-A Montgomery, where he batted .213 (20-94) with four doubles, two triples, three homers and eight RBIs in 28 games.
A top prospect coming out of high school, there were questions of whether the knee injury was what kept Tampa Bay from protecting Pridie. Followell, though, felt that it was a surplus of outfielders and not the injury that allowed Pridie to be available.
"He's healthy now, as far as we know," Followell said of Pridie. "He certainly ran well and played defense fine when we saw him. He looks 100 percent to us."
A Minor League player three years out of college and four years out of high school that wasn't protected on the 40-man Major League roster was eligible to be selected by another club for $50,000. That player must stay on his new team's 25-man Major League roster for the entire season or be offered back to the old club for $25,000.
Sixty-five players were taken over three phases of the draft this year, but none came from the Twins organization. In addition to selecting Pridie, Minnesota also added three players in the Triple-A portion of the draft. The Twins selected LHP Jose Lugo from Oakland, outfielder Erold Andrus from the Yankees and RHP Alexander Farfan from Cincinnati.
Source: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/
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