[calculoso]

Blue Jays go back to the well, select another Giants pitcher in Rule 5 draft

http://canoe.com/sports/baseball/tor...2-9880acf3c555

The Blue Jays caught the Giants sleeping two years ago and returned to the well again on Thursday.

During the 2015 MLB Rule 5 draft, the Jays plucked pitcher Joe Biagini from the San Francisco Giants and the big right-hander turned into an outstanding reliever, though he struggled in a starting role last season.

In this year’s Rule 5 draft, held on Thursday at the Walt Disney Swan & Dolphin Resort, the Jays selected another pitcher from the Giants organization, right-hander Drew Muren. Muren was picked in the triple-A phase of the draft, not the major-league phase, meaning that they don’t have to keep the 6-foot-6 fireballer on their major-league roster for the entire season or offer him back to the Giants.

Toronto GM Ross Atkins was relieved that the no MLB team took anyone from the Jays’ organization in the major-league phase of the draft — specifically catcher Max Pentecost and RHP Jordan Romano. They did lose third baseman Mitch Nay to the Reds in the minor-league phase. But other than selecting Muren and a couple of later minor-league picks — catcher Alberto Mineo from the Cubs and shortstop Ivan Castillo from the Indians — the Jays did not make a single deal at this year’s MLB winter meetings, though Atkins insisted that’s not necessarily disappointing. He said a lot of constructive conversations were held with GMs, agents and players this week that could turn into trades or free-agent signings over the next few weeks.

Tim Raines is leaving the Jays. The Hall of Fame outfielder was the organization’s outfield/base running coordinator. Ron Sandelli, the club’s director of team safety, is also leaving.