The Rule 5 (or RULE V) Draft for 2004 is to begin in less than an hour.

The A's can expect to lose at least two players and draft at least one player.

I'll try to keep you updated every 30-45 minutes on the event.

2004 RULE 5 DRAFT

- Anahiem, CA
Kevin Goldstein of BASEBALL AMERICA is blogging the Rule 5 Draft in almost real tme.

Follow this link to keep up with him.

I will provide A's updates as they happen and review what means what at the end.


• A's select LHP Tyler Johnson from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Johnson is a reliever and worked 56.1 innings in 53 games in 2004 in AA. He had a decent strike out/walk ratio of 77/37 with a 4.79 ERA. A situational LHP is called a...correct - LOOGY.

Okay...it's over. 1 Round, plus one pick in Round 2.

WOW.

That was faster than a fantasy draft.

News on this to come.

The AAA draft is starting and the A's might be active to restore a lot of the 'Replacement Parts' lost from the RiverCats (Edwards, Rose, Lockwood, Koonce, et al.).

A lot more players were taken in the AAA Draft.

The armchair knee-jerk reaction to the Major League Rule 5 Draft lack of picks is because of BALCO/Steroids/performance enhancing drugs/Your Aunt Margie's potato salad controversy.

Team's don't want to pick players who might end up testing positive in the Major League drug tests. That's why so many pitchers were taken.

Well, the minor leagues already have a testing program in place. Though, you have to wonder how effective it is since there has not been a rash of positive tests and players being suspended. Then again, maybe they are in the minor leagues due to the fact they did not take any of the banned substances in the first place. Not that steroids, performance enhancing drugs or other substances improve performance. Maybe this is a circular argument that I didn't want to get into; so why am I getting into it now?