The Rule 5 draft allows a team to select an exposed minor leaguer for $100,000. Avoiding players being exposed, means a team must add to its 40-man roster players signed at age 18 or younger that have five seasons of minor league experience, or players that were signed at age 19 or beyond with four years of minor league experience.
For the Detroit Tigers, the draft strategy is pretty simple. They can 1.) draft someone who fills an immediate role, or 2.) draft a player with raw talent and a high ceiling. The kind of player that requirements investment for a payoff.