LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Heading into Thursday's 2017 Rule 5 Draft, the Rays were braced to lose catcher Nick Ciuffo and right-hander Burch Smith in the Major League phase.
They only lost Smith, who was selected by the Mets, who then traded him to the Royals. The Rays didn't make a selection in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft.
Both players were left unprotected off Tampa Bay's 40-man roster, which opened the door for other teams to select them. The Rays will be paid a claiming fee of $100,000, and Smith will have to remain on the Royals' 25-man Major League roster for the length of the 2018 regular season.