Brewers: 3 Rule 5 Prospects the Crew Could Select, 3 They Could Have Taken from Them

Here are three players the Brewers could select in the 2022 MLB Rule 5 Draft.

1. LHP Jose Lopez

The Brewers have a few team needs they could choose to address in the Rule 5 Draft, one of which being left-handed relievers. One of the top ones available during this draft is Jose Lopez out of the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

Lopez has been pitching in the Rays minor leagues since the 2017 season and has generally acquitted himself well, putting up a 23-19 record over 107 appearances with a 3.26 ERA, 1.325 WHIP, and a .210 batting average against.

Only once has Lopez had an ERA above 3.08 for a season and last year he brought his K/9 up to a whopping 14.4. The Brewers have just one lefty reliever on the 40-man in Hoby Milner (unless you also count swingman Aaron Ashby) and Lopez would be a great complement to him in the bullpen.

2. LHP Erik Miller

Speaking of left-handed relievers, the Brewers have another option on the board in Erik Miller. Drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 4th round of the 2019 draft out of Stanford, he is currently the No. 7 prospect in their system according to MLB Pipeline.

Miller started off as a starting pitcher in the Phillies system, but after losing nearly all of his 2021 season due to injury, he was shifted to largely relief duties. In doing so, he moved his way up to a brief stint at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He struggled a bit there, but finished the season with a 3.54 ERA and 1.448 WHIP.

MLB Pipeline gives him 55 grades on his fastball, changeup, and slider and with that mix, Miller could stay in the bullpen or go back to starting depending on what direction a team goes with him. With Milwaukee having that lefty bullpen need, they could always give him a chance to continue working things out as a reliever at the major league level.

3. 1B/3B Malcom Nunez

The Brewers can also use offense, though outside of their crop of talented, young outfielders, they'll likely be looking to more established veterans for it. In the event they want to give a bench spot to a young player with potential though, one Rule 5 candidate could be Malcom Nunez.

Nunez originally came up through the St. Louis Cardinals organization before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Jose Quintana trade during last season's trade deadline. He now sits as the No. 12 prospect in Pittsburgh's organization.

Nunez had an outstanding year in 2022, hitting .262 with an .833 OPS while launching 23 bombs and batting in 88. Though the infield might seem relatively set for the Brewers, corner infield has always been a position where the organization has lacked depth. It might be a longshot, but if the Brewers see something they like, maybe they'll take a flier from a division foe.

Here are three players the Brewers could have taken from them in the 2022 MLB Rule 5 Draft.

1. SS Cam Devanney

When taking a look at players who could be protected from the Rule 5 Draft by the Brewers, we listed shortstop Cam Devanney in our "Warrants consideration" section. He did not end up getting added to the 40-man and now teams across the league may be warranting consideration on selecting him this week.

Devanney was a 15th round selection in the 2019 draft by Milwaukee who had his first true breakout season in 2022. He hit .264 with a .834 OPS, swatted 32 doubles and 23 homers, and knocked in 68 in 128 games played across both the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

Though he was primarily a shortstop, Devanney got almost as much work in at third base last year, so he brings versatility as well. He only has 13 games of Triple-A experience and there may be questions on whether he will continue to repeat 2022's success. But that's the type or risk that a young team with roster space may be willing to take for a player who plays Devanney's positions.

2. RHP Lucas Erceg

Once thought to be approaching potential draft bust status, Lucas Erceg, a former corner infielder, reinvented himself as a two-way player in 2021 before becoming a full-time pitcher last season. It's a move that set his career right back on track.

As one might expect, the road was a little bumpy for Erceg at the start of his transition before he really started to impress. He played his final 33 games at Triple-A Nashville last season, finishing 2-1 with a 3.43 ERA as well as 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Brewers quickly re-signed Erceg to another minor league contract after the season was over but he remains Rule 5 eligible. For Milwaukee's sake, they are hoping that other teams don't see his blistering fastball and major league readiness and snatch him away before seeing him possibly develop into a member of their MLB pitching staff.

3. RHP Victor Castaneda

If it's starting pitching that teams are looking for instead, then perhaps Victor Castaneda may be of interest. The 2017 international signee of the Milwaukee Brewers may not have pitched as closely to the majors as Erceg but comes with much more solid pitching experience.

Castaneda has been pitching in at least Rookie Level ball for the Brewers since 2018 and made it up to Triple-A for the first time last season. In total, he has made 95 appearances in the minors for Milwaukee, 56 of them starts, and compiled a 18-22 record and a 4.57 ERA.

Castaneda hasn't necessarily put up a dominant season in his minor league career yet but also hasn't had a major letdown season either. He has a solid career 1.368 WHIP and 9.6 K/9. He's similar to Devanney in that he doesn't have much Triple-A experience, but perhaps he still gets a shot to be selected.

Teams aren't required to select any players in the Rule 5 Draft, though, so after today, the Brewers active roster may look the same as it did yesterday. Who knows whether the minor league rosters will as well.