Orioles select Tavarez, Santander in Rule 5 draft

The Orioles today announced that they have selected outfielder Aneury Tavarez from the Boston Red Sox organization and outfielder Anthony Santander from the Cleveland Indians organization in the Rule 5 Draft.

Tavárez, 24, batted .330/.374/.495 (132-for-400) with 19 doubles, 13 triples, seven home runs, 47 RBI, and 20 stolen bases over 111 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket in 2016. His 13 triples last season led all Red Sox minor league players and ranked second in the Eastern League. Tavárez posted a .335/.379/.506 (129-for-385) slash line over 106 games with Double-A Portland, ranking second among Eastern League hitters in batting average. In 536 career minor league games, Tavárez hit .270/.320/.420 with 96 doubles, 36 triples, 40 home runs, 221 RBI, and 90 stolen bases. Tavárez was originally signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent on October 18, 2010.

Santander, 22, batted .290/.368/.494 (145-for-500) with 42 doubles, 20 home runs, 90 runs scored, 95 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 128 games with Class A-Advanced Lynchburg last season. In 2016, he was selected as a Carolina League post-season All-Star after leading the league in extra-base hits (62) and doubles. Santander ranked second in the league in total bases (247) and runs scored, third in hits, home runs, RBI, and slugging percentage, fifth in on-base percentage, and finished with the sixth-highest batting average among qualifying Carolina League hitters last season. Over 347 career minor league games, he batted .271/.343/.449 (357-for-1315) with 101 doubles, two triples, 43 home runs, 212 runs scored, and 219 RBI. Santander was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Cleveland Indians on July 2, 2011.

With these moves, the Orioles' 40-man Major League roster is currently at 38 players.

In the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft, the Orioles selected right-hander Jefri Hernandez from the Cincinnati Reds organization and left-hander Brian Moran from the Atlanta Braves organization in the Triple-A phase.

Hernández, 25, went 1-1 with a 3.06 ERA (11 ER/32.1 IP) and 32 strikeouts over 24 games between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock as a member of the Texas Rangers organization in 2016. Hernández was signed by the Reds to a minor league contract on November 17. Originally signed as a minor league free agent by the Colorado Rockies on March 5, 2008, Hernández has gone 18-13 with a 3.61 ERA (134 ER/333.2 IP), 35 saves, and 261 strikeouts over 215 career minor league games (21 starts).

Moran, 28, appeared in six games with Triple-A Gwinnet last season, posting a 5.06 ERA (3 ER/5.1 IP). In 232 career minor league games, he has gone 20-18 with a 3.11 ERA (113 ER/326.2 IP) and 369 strikeouts. Originally selected by the Seattle Mariners in the seventh round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, Moran is the nephew of Orioles Hall of Famer B.J. Surhoff and former Major League player Rich Surhoff.