Cleveland Indians: Five players to target in the Rule 5 Draft

SS Alfredo Rodriguez, Cincinnati Reds

With eight players on their Top 30 list eligible for the Rule 5 Draft and only four spots open on the 40-man roster, the Cincinnati Reds had to split hairs when it came to adding players. One player left off was shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez.

Despite being 26, Rodriguez was expected to debut in 2020, but the shortened season messed with those plans. Now, he could be making his debut elsewhere, maybe even with the Cleveland Indians. Similar to Estevez, Rodriguez would help bridge between the Hernandez, Lindor double play unit until when the Tyler Freeman, Gabriel Arias tandem is ready.

Rodriguez split the 2019 season between Double-A and Triple-A, logging most of his games at Double-A. What made the difference for Rodriguez to get the call up was his ability at the plate. For starters, he was able to slash .286/.325/.347 over 104 games. On top of that, he walked 22 times and stole 13 bases while also driving in 25 runs.

The walks and stolen bases seem to fit the mantra of what the Cleveland Indians aim to be. With so much uncertainty in the middle infield, Rodriguez could be a candidate to fill in for the time being with stats that would work for now.