Skole, Martin, Vettleson could be of interest to teams in Rule 5 draft

SAN DIEGO - The Rule 5 draft takes place at 9 a.m. Pacific time (noon Eastern time) at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, and is the final official activity of this year's Winter Meetings.

Unlike in past years, the Nationals won't be able to make a pick among players not included on teams' 40-man rosters. To do so, the Nats would have to have an opening on their 40-man roster, which is currently full.

But the Nationals have to consider the possibility that players they chose not to add to their 40-man roster may be of interest to other clubs. That was the case last year, when catcher Adrian Nieto, who had never played above high Single-A Potomac, was chosen in the major league phase of the Rule 5 by the the White Sox.

Remember guys like Brian Broderick, Elvin Ramirez, Jamie Hoffman and Terrell Young? (It's OK if you don't - not many people do.) That's how they ended up as Washington property, however briefly.

Players taken in the Rule 5 draft have to stay the entire season on the selecting team's 25-man roster or be offered back to their original club for $25,000, half of the $50,000 price tag for drafting them.

Three guys in the Nats system - but not on the 40-man roster - who could draw interest from other teams are corner infielder Matt Skole, right-hander Rafael Martin and outfielder Drew Vettleson.

Skole is a 25-year-old first baseman/third baseman who batted .241 with 14 homers and 68 RBIs in 132 games for Double-A Harrisburg last season, his first full campaign after undergoing ligament-replacement surgery on his left (non-throwing) arm in April 2013. At the same time he had Tommy John surgery, Skole also underwent surgery to repair microfractures in his left wrist. Both injuries were the result of a collision with a runner at first base.

He could draw interest because he had a breakout 2012 season at low Single-A Hagerstown. He hit 27 home runs, drove in 92 runs and had a 1.012 OPS, earning minor league Player of the Year honors from the team that drafted him in the fifth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.

Skole was once considered one of the top prospects in the organization, but his stock has fallen because of injuries. A rebuilding team - or an American League club with a hole at DH - could take him and hope he supplies some pop.

Martin, a 30-year-old reliever signed by the Nationals in 2010 out of the Mexican League, had his best season in an eight-year pro career in 2014. In three levels on the Nats farm, he was 3-2 with a 1.39 ERA and 11 saves. Most of his damage came at Triple-A Syracuse, where he posted 10 saves, and 0.802 WHIP and a 0.80 ERA in 25 appearances. With teams constantly remaking their major league bullpens, it isn't a stretch that someone would take a flyer on a guy who seems to be a classic late bloomer.

Vettleson, a 23-year-old outfielder, was acquired along with left-hander Felipe Rivero and catcher Jose Lobaton from the Rays in exchange for right-hander Nathan Karns in February. A first-round sandwich pick (42nd overall) by Tampa Bay in the 2010 draft, Vettleson hit .252 with eight homers and 30 RBIs between Harrisburg and short-season Single-A Auburn in 2014.

He's a long shot to be taken, but the Rule 5 Draft is all about opportunity and redemption, and a former first-rounder once noted for an advanced approach at the plate could be of interest. Vettleson's best season came in 2012, when he hit .275 with 15 homers, 69 RBIs and 20 stolen bases for Single-A Bowling Green in the Midwest League, a Rays affiliate.

There's also a minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Teams often use selections in this phase to stock areas of need. The Nats could be active there, but also could lose players. That's one of the downfalls of having talent in the organization.