Diamondbacks add minor-league pitching in Rule 5 Draft
Dec 8, 2022, 7:34 AM
Peter Solomon #71 of the Houston Astros pitches during the eighth inning of his MLB debut against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on April 18, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
The Arizona Diamondbacks honed in on pitching depth during Wednesday’s Rule 5 draft, taking three arms in the minor league phase of the event.
Arizona added RHP Taylor Rashi from the Giants in the first round, RHP Denny Larrondo from the Yankees in the second round and RHP Peter Solomon from the Pirates in Round 3.
The D-backs did not make a pick in the major league phase of the draft, as they did not have a 40-man roster spot open.
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Arizona also did not lose anyone in the major league portion, including OF Dominic Canzone, whom the team left unprotected after he had a slash line of .284/.349/.489 with Triple-A Reno in 2022. The D-backs heard rumors their No. 19 prospect on MLB Pipeline could be taken, according to MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert.
Solomon was the only one of the three selections who has appeared in a major league game. The 26-year-old pitched six games in relief for the Houston Astros in 2021 when pitching coach Brent Strom was there, allowing two runs in 14 frames.
#Astros prospect Peter Solomon turned up the heat, equaling his season high with nine strikeouts for @SL_Skeeters. pic.twitter.com/aAoYBgP3Zt
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 20, 2021
The 2017 4th-round pick has a fastball that ranges between 92-96 mph but also threw a curveball, cutter, changeup and slider during his stint in the bigs, according to Baseball Savant.
He was the No. 15 prospect in the Astros’ system entering 2021, according to MLB Pipeline.
Last season, he had a 5.58 ERA in Triple-A, starting 21 games and coming out of the bullpen in six. He struggled with throwing strikes, walking 4.4 batters per nine innings.
Rashi, on the other hand, has not reached the bigs but is coming off a strong season with Double-A Richmond. The 6-foot-4 hurler managed to strike out 52 batters in 35 frames despite not owning an overpowering fastball.
FINAL – Squirrels 6, ‘Ducks 3 pic.twitter.com/RmvQ0wJJbi
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 6, 2022
The 26-year-old appeared in 30 games in relief last season, as he and Solomon are now options for the D-backs’ bullpen in 2023 should they make the 40-man roster at any point.
The D-backs have addressed the bullpen this offseason by signing Miguel Castro to a major league deal, Austin Brice to a minor league contract and selecting the contract of prospect Justin Martinez.
Larrondo is 20 years old and signed as an international free agent with the Yankees in 2018.
RHP Justin Lewis, 27, was the only D-backs player selected, as he went in the third round of the minor league phase to the Guardians.
Arizona has not utilized the Rule 5 Draft much in recent years, but a notable addition came in the 2020 event when the organization added LHP Tyler Gilbert.
