Trying to win on the margins, the Marlins take the Rule 5 draft seriously. Every winter since the franchise’s ownership change, they have selected at least one player during the draft’s major league phase while finding creative ways to avoid losing potentially useful players from their own farm system.
In many respects, Miami’s 2020 postseason berth was an achievement worth celebrating. One of the drawbacks of their on-field success, however, was a drop in the Rule 5 draft order. A front office accustomed to picking in the top half of the draft had to settle for the No.