In the days prior to the Rule 5 Draft, the San Francisco Giants placed Orlando Calixte on the team’s 40-man roster shortly after signing him to a minor-league contract in mid-November. Prior to signing with the Giants, Calixte was formerly a highly-touted prospect in the farm system of the Kansas City Royals, ranked as a Top 30 prospect in the organization five times. Other than a short two-game stint with the big league squad in 2015, Calixte has spent his entire professional career in the minors.
Kansas City signed an 18-year-old Calixte out of the Dominican Republic, including a seven-figure bonus in the deal, but the shortstop didn’t impress right off the bat.