Mariners make no selections in Major League Rule 5 Draft, select four players in Minor League portion

No changes to the 40-man roster, but Seattle bolsters its farm system

The Rule 5 Draft took place at the Winter Meetings today, and the Major League portion was fairly uneventful, with just fifteen selections being made despite many teams having an opening on their 40-man roster. The Mariners, perhaps unsurprisingly, were one of the teams that chose to pass on selecting a player, continuing their trend from last winter and leaving Chris Clarke as the last selection they made in 2022. On the bright side, no team plucked anything from their farm system.

The minor league portion of the draft, though, was far more active, and the M’s made four selections to help fill out their organizational depth, while also not losing any players. While you shouldn’t hold your breath on any of this quartet making a real impact on the big league roster in 2025, each may be worth keeping an eye on - and hey, we at least have some new players to talk about, am I right?

Cesar Quintas, OF, Giants

The M’s got things started by plucking Quintas from the Giants’ farm system, where he’s spent his entire career since signing out of Venezuela in 2019. He spent all of 2024 with Single-A San Jose, so real Modesto Nuts-heads might already be familiar with him. Neither his slash line (.228/.320/.386) nor wRC+ (90) jump off the page, but Quintas has spent plenty of time in all three outfield spots as a pro, the bulk of his innings last year being spent in right. He’ll turn 22 in late March, and look for him to start 2025 in Modesto, with a midseason promotion to High-A Everett possible if he takes a step forward in his second crack at the Cal League.

Taylor Floyd, RHP, Twins

It wouldn’t be a Rule 5 draft without a Pile addition or two (or three), and for their second pick, Seattle grabbed Floyd from Minnesota. He spent last year with Double-A Wichita, tossing 64.2 innings of 4.04/3.77 ERA/FIP ball. Sitting at 90-92 MPH, Floyd’s fastball won’t overpower hitters, but his sidearm/submarine arm slot and devastating slider have helped him keep the ball in the yard, with just three homers allowed in 2024. Newly 27, Floyd should be a dependable arm with Arkansas and Tacoma next year, and could have a shot at making his big league debut.

Adam Leverett, RHP, Rays

With a sudden dearth of starting pitching in the high minors, Seattle grabbed some depth from the Rays. After being traded from the Phillies for fellow righty Michael Mercado, the 26-year-old Leverett spent most of last season with Double-A Montgomery, appearing in 20 games (17 starts) and putting up a 3.91/3.86 ERA/FIP. He also made three middling starts with Triple-A Durham to kick off the year. Leverett won’t miss many bats, with a combined strikeout rate last year of just under 15%, but features a pretty changeup, and last year he kept his walks in check and allowed just eight homers across a combined 101.2 innings. He should slot into Arkansas’s rotation to start the year.

Matt Cronin, LHP, Nationals

To wrap up the draft, the M’s took the lefty Cronin from the Nats. Since being drafted out of Arkansas in the 4th round in 2019, Cronin has exclusively pitched out of the bullpen, and brings a big fastball that can touch 97 MPH from a high arm slot. He dominated across High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg last year, posting a combined 1.42 ERA and a strikeout rate north of 30% while not allowing a single dinger over 44.1 innings. The grain (well, maybe the teaspoon) of salt is that he turned 27 in September, and during his time in Wilmington, he was a full three years older than the average age in the Sally League. Still, those numbers are worth keeping an eye on, and he could find himself a quick riser in Seattle’s system if he can harness his offspeed offerings more consistently.