Happy day, Athletics Nation!
The A’s got the top pick in the Rule 5 Draft this week, selecting pitcher Mitch Spence at the outset of the Major League phase of the proceedings. From there, they rather uncharacteristically sat out the minor league phase of the draft, resulting in a net loss of prospects on Wednesday.
Jason Burke at SI.com noted the A’s passivity with puzzlement. Players drawn from the Major League portion of the draft have to be kept on the 26-man roster for the whole 2024 season or be returned to the team that lost them.