MINNEAPOLIS -- As Justin Haley was preparing to make his final start for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League on Nov. 18, he received word from the Red Sox that he wasn't going to be added to the 40-man roster.
Haley shook off the bad news, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings to finish with a 0.38 ERA in five starts. But it was the start of a whirlwind for Haley, who got married eight days later and was taken in the Rule 5 Draft 12 days after that.
Haley essentially didn't have time to worry about whether he'd be selected, but he said he's excited about the opportunity to compete for a spot on the Twins' roster, which is something he wouldn't have been able to do with Boston.