A's Select First Baseman Ryan Noda in Rule 5 Draft
Typically you see teams go after pitchers in the Rule 5 Draft because they are easier to hide on a big league roster over the course of a full season, but that's not the direction the A's went on Wednesday, and it's not the direction they have gone in the past. Before the 2015 season, the A's acquired Mark Canha during the Draft, and five years later they added Vimael Machín.
With the second pick in this year's Draft, the A's took Ryan Noda from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Noda is currently 26, but will be entering his age 27 season in 2023.
With Triple-A Oklahoma City, Noda batted .259 with a .396 on-base and an .870 OPS. He also clubbed 25 homers, 23 doubles, and stole 20 bases. He also struck out 28.2% of the time. According to Lansing Lugnuts broadcaster Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, Noda owns the Lugnuts' single-season walk record.
While Noda was selected as a first baseman, he also has pro experience in left field.
The addition of Noda could set up a Spring Training battle between him and Dermis Garcia for the Opening Day job. The trick with the Rule 5 is that any player selected in the big league portion has to stay with the selecting club on the major league roster for the entire season, or be placed on waivers. If they clear waivers, then they have to be offered back to their original club.
The A's added an interesting bat to keep an eye on when players start reporting to camp. Regardless of whether he ultimately makes the team, Noda pushes the A's roster to 39, with both Jace Peterson and Aledmys Díaz yet to be added to the roster. Oakland will need to make a corresponding move, or a trade, in the coming days.
In the minor league portion of the Draft, which does not have the same roster stipulations as the big league portion, the A's selected Joelvis Del Rosario from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Del Rosario is a 21-year-old right-handed starting pitcher that tossed 93 innings in 2022 with the Pirates' A Ball affiliate and held a 3.68 ERA to go along with 7.4 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.