Cubs, Dodgers hit hardest in Rule 5 draft

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Ticker) -- With everyone seeking the next Johan Santana, major league teams took their chances during Monday's Rule 5 draft.

The Arizona Diamondbacks picked first and selected 6-7 righthander Angel Garcia, who was in the Minnesota Twins organization. Immediately following the draft the Diamondbacks sent Garcia to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for cash considerations.

Garcia, 21, has never pitched above Class A.

Kansas City took once-promising lefthander Andy Sisco with the second pick. A second-round selection of the Chicago Cubs in 2001, Sisco is another physical marvel at 6-9, 260 pounds. He was 4-10 with a 4.21 ERA at Class A Daytona but did strike out 134 in 126 innings.

The Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers were hit harder than most in the draft. Chicago lost a pair of left-handed pitchers in Sisco and Luke Hagerty (Baltimore), while Los Angeles lost pitchers Marcos Carvajal (Milwaukee) and Matt Merricks (Colorado) and outfielder Shane Victorino (Philadelphia).

After the draft, Hagerty was traded to the Florida Marlins and Carvajal was dealt to the Colorado Rockies.

The world champion Boston Red Sox also made a pick, selecting outfielder Adam Stern from the Atlanta organization.

Santana, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, was plucked out of the Houston Astros organization in 1999. Current major leaguers Jay Gibbons, Wil Ledesma and Hector Luna also were Rule 5 selections.

Players selected in the Rule 5 draft must remain on their new team's active 25-man roster the following season or be offered back to the original club for $25,000.

© 2004 SportsTicker Enterprises, LP