Rule 5 Draft Review

The Cubs selected two players, sold one of them, and lost five players in the Rule 5 draft today.

The first player the Cubs selected was OF Josh Hamilton from Tampa Bay. Hamilton is 25 years old and was the first overall selection by the Devil Rays in the 1999 draft. The Cubs then turned around and sold Hamilton to the Cincinnati Reds.

Although a promising prospect, Hamilton has had some personal troubles. He has allegedly had run-ins with the police involving both drinking and cocaine use.

The Cubs also picked up James Henderson, a RHP, from the Washington Nationals. Henderson was originally selected in the 26th round of the 2003 draft. He had a 2-2 record with a 4.50 ERA for Class A Potomac in 2006.

The Cubs also lost five players in the draft. They are:

LHP Edward Campusano (selected by Milwaukee)
RHP Lincoln Holdzkom (selected by Houston)
IF Jason Smith (selected by Toronto)
IF Richard Lewis (selected by Kansas City)
RHP Andy Shipman (selected by Oakland)