Christmas came early for prospect nerds with the 2018 Rule 5 Draft on Thursday. For the A's though, a big loss was the Orioles' gain.
Richie Martin was selected with the 20th pick in the 2015 MLB Draft three years ago by the A's. It doesn't come with the same bells and whistles as June's draft, but Baltimore took Martin 19 spots higher with the No. 1 pick in this year's Rule 5 Draft.
It was shocking that the A's didn't protect Martin and kept him off their 40-man roster after his breakout 2018 season. For the Rule 5 stans, it was no surprise the Orioles took the shortstop with the top selection.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Since being drafted, Martin struggled at the plate with inconsistencies as he also dealt with injuries. Last season in Double-A, Martin figured it out offensively and hit .300 with six home runs, eight triples, and 29 doubles. He also stole 25 bases.
“It’s a good opportunity (for Martin),” A's GM David Forst told reporters after the draft. “Obviously, it’s a club that needs players so he’ll have a good opportunity to stick. So it’s part of the decisions that we have to make. But we wish him the best of luck.”
A season in Triple-A would be best for Martin as he needs to further develop his bat, but his defense and athleticism should keep him on the Orioles' big-league roster as at least a backup infielder. Martin is a shortstop by trade, though he played 21 games at second base in 2018 for the first time in his minor league career.
The A's will receive $100,000 from the Orioles for Martin. If he doesn't stay on the 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to Oakland for $50,000 and send him to the minors, or the original team can keep the money and let the player go to his new team.