I did not expect the Cubs to make a selection in this year’s Rule 5 Draft, but they went ahead and surprised me and did indeed add a player in the Major League phase of the Draft.
They chose Gage Workman, an infielder from the Tigers organization. Workman, an Arizona native, is 25 and was Detroit’s fourth-round pick in 2020 out of Arizona State. In 2024, Workman batted .280/.366/.476 with 18 home runs and 30 stolen bases for Double-A Erie. He played both third base and shortstop for Erie, so it could be the Cubs are looking at Workman to be a backup infielder of some sort — a replacement for Miles Mastrobuoni, maybe? Workman does hit lefthanded.
Here’s Workman hitting a double, triple and home run for Erie last September:
With the selection of Workman, the Cubs’ 40-man roster is full. So in order to complete the reported signing of Carson Kelly, they’ll have to let someone go (Mastrobuoni, perhaps?).
By Rule 5 rules, Workman will have to stay on the Cubs’ active roster all year or be offered back to the Tigers. Teams often make minor deals with teams to keep Rule 5 draftees if they want to send them to the minors.
Brandon Day, manager of our SB Nation Tigers site Bless You Boys, told me this about Workman:
Big tools. Good third baseman, can play shortstop reasonably well. Has some speed and above average raw power.
He was a switch hitter and could never hit lefties right-handed. The Tigers spent two years trying to convince him to make some changes. He was stubborn about it but he finally ditched switch-hitting last year. Shortened his swing a little bit. He has a solid eye for the zone, but still swings and misses quite a bit, and he can’t hit lefties left-handed any better than he did switch-hitting. Possibly a utilityman. More if they could help him make more contact in year two of the changes.
The Cubs did not lose any players in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft, which is a good thing, considering the only player they protected was Owen Caissie. There was some thought Pedro Aliendo might be chosen, but he wasn’t.
In the Minor League phase of the Draft, the Cubs lost righthanded pitcher Richard Gallardo to the Blue Jays. Gallardo is 23 and pitched in only five games in 2024, split between the Cubs Arizona Complex League team and Double-A Tennessee. He missed all that time largely due to an ankle injury. Here’s more on Gallardo from North Side Bound.
They also lost Jacob Wetzel, an outfielder, to the Blue Jays. You might recognize the name, as Wetzel played in a few Spring Training games for the Cubs last March. Wetzel, who turns 25 next March, signed with the Cubs as an undrafted free agent in 2020 from Old Dominion. He batted .253/.372/.456 in 2024 with eight home runs and 19 stolen bases in 91 games split between Low-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend.
Lastly, the Cubs also lost Angel Gonzalez, a righthanded pitcher, to the Cardinals. Gonzalez is 22 and last year posted a 7.94 ERA in 33 relief appearances for High-A South Bend.
The Cubs picked up Wil Jensen, a righthanded pitcher from the Giants, in the Minor League phase. Jensen, who is 27, signed with the Giants in 2020 as an undrafted free agent. Last year, split between Double-A Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento, Jensen posted a 3.74 ERA and 1.315 WHIP in 35 games (six starts). He struck out 106 and walked 33 in 89 innings.
And, the Cubs selected Nolan Clenney, a 28-year-old righthanded pitcher from the Mets who played college ball at North Carolina State. Clenney posted a 5.37 ERA in 33 relief appearances for Double-A Binghamton in 2024. He struck out 60 and walked 15 in 53⅔ innings.
Lastly, the Cubs selected Robert Kwiatkowski, a 27-year-old righthanded pitcher from the Red Sox. He played college ball at Marshall, and, like a lot of guys in 2020, signed with Boston as an undrafted free agent. Last year, split between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, he posted a 2.92 ERA and 1.127 WHIP in 32 games (two starts). He struck out 66 and walked 24 in 71 innings.
The Rule 5 Draft concludes the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. Now, we wait for the Cubs to make some further moves to improve the team.
