The Rule 5 draft took place on Thursday, and it cost the Oakland A’s a notable prospect. With the first pick of the draft, the Orioles selected shortstop Richie Martin, who was the A’s 1st-round pick in the 2015 June amateur draft (aka Rule 4). Martin will now have the chance to play in MLB for Baltimore, but if he doesn’t stick in the majors all year long then he must be offered back to Oakland. Click here to see the full draft.
For his part, Martin enjoyed a promising 2018 campaign. His first two full seasons had been a constant struggle against nagging injuries and underperformance, but last summer he finally put together a good year at the plate to go along with his well-regarded defense.