Thursday is the final day of the 2014 Winter Meetings. The big event of the final day each year is the Rule 5 draft. The Minnesota Twins roster is currently at 39, so they will be able to participate in the Rule 5 draft. The Twins may have interest in several players from other organizations that are available. It is also possible that the Twins could lose a player or two if other teams select them.

It should be also pointed out that the MLB Rule 5 draft is just the first of three Rule 5 drafts. There is a AAA portion of the Rule 5 draft. Each organization can put up to 39 players on their AAA roster. The Twins have 38 players on their roster, according to GM Terry Ryan on the Twins Hot Stove Show last night, so they will likely make a selection in that phase. Finally, there is a AA portion of the draft, though very few players are selected in it.

There are several differences between these drafts. To make an MLB selection, a team must pay $50,000. That player needs to be on the drafting team's 25-man roster all season or be offered back to the original team for $25,000. The other option is that the teams can work out a trade. The Twins have examples of what can happen with their three most recent picks.

  • Scott Diamond – Twins selected him from the Braves. He did not make the Opening Day roster, but the Twins and Braves were able to work out a trade. Diamond could be taken off of the 40-man roster and the Twins sent RHP Billy Bullock to Atlanta.
  • Terry Doyle – The Twins selected Doyle from the White Sox organization. He was returned to Chicago late in spring training.
  • Ryan Pressly – The Twins drafted Pressly from the Red Sox organization. He remained on the Twins roster the entire 2013 season. He was able to be sent back to AAA during the 2014 season and pitched well enough to be called up during the season's second half.

To select a player in the AAA portion, the cost to the team is $12,000. For a player selected in the AA portion, the cost is $5,000. In both cases, the player remains with the new organization.

It has become a lot more difficult to find high-level talent in the Rule 5. The rules changed a few years ago so that teams would have an extra year to determine whether or not to add a player to the 40 man roster.

The Twins have had some success in the Rule 5 draft in their past. Diamond certainly had one very good season. Shane Mack came to the Twins in the Rule 5 draft in 1989 and was a big contributor to the Twins for five seasons.

PLAYERS THE TWINS COULD LOSE

We don't know who is or isn't on the AAA or AA roster, so it's really hard to determine who could be lost. A year ago, the Twins lost Tim Atherton to the A's in the AAA draft. We do know who is on the Twins roster and who is eligible to be lost by the team.

We like to assume that first-round picks will be easy choices to add to the 40-man roster when that time comes. However, the Twins have several former first round picks who could be lost. There are several other players who could be taken.

To see the list of players that the Twins could lose in the Rule 5 draft, as well as a list of players that the Twins could potentially be interested in selecting with their Rule 5 pick, head on over to TwinsDaily.com.

While at Twins Daily, be sure to register and join in the great Twins discussion in the forums. Or, if you're interested, you could start your own blog here.

Also, be sure to check out Parker's most recent article. He wrote about Molitor's Managerment Style.

Be sure to follow Twins Daily on Facebook and Twitter.