Twins select 2 pitchers in Rule 5 Draft

The Minnesota Twins added two new players to the organization on Wednesday during the MLB's annual Rule 5 Draft.

In the major-league portion of the draft, the Twins selected right-handed pitcher Eiberson Castellano from the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

Castellano, 23, split the 2024 season between High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading, tallying a combined 3.99 ERA over 103.2 innings and 22 games (20 starts), including 136 strikeouts, 29 walks and a .229 opponent batting average.

His performance earned him Philadelphia's minor league pitcher of the year this past season, which makes it a bit surprising the Phillies didn't add him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the draft.

While he's been mostly a starter in the minor, Minnesota's depth there suggests he may be a long reliever if he sticks with the Twins. Remember, he has to stay on the 26-man roster for the entire 2025 season or be offered back to the Phillies for $50,000.

Castellano is the 10th player taken by the Twins in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft dating back to 2005. The club now has 38 players on the 40-man roster.

That was it for the Twins in the major-league portion of the draft, but the club did select right-handed pitcher Trent Baker from the St. Louis Cardinals in the minor-league phase.

Baker, 25, posted a 4.89 ERA across 22 games (14 starts) and 81 innings at Double-A this past season, tallying 81 strikeouts and 43 walks with a .244 opponent batting average.

The team later added infielder Miguel Briceno from Milwaukee and catcher Jefferson Valladares from the Dodgers in the minor-league phase. The team lost right-handed pitcher Taylor Floyd to Seattle in the second round of the minor-league phase.

Like the major-league phase, teams pay to select players in the minor-league Rule 5 Draft, but unlike the big-league portion, the MiLB prospects aren't subject to any roster restrictions.

The Twins added only two of their most well-known prospects to the 40-man ahead of the deadline for the Rule 5 Draft but didn't lose anyone else.