Rule 5 Draft Recap

The Twins added some more infield depth on Thursday morning, selecting shortstop Alejandro Machado and his solid glove from the Nationals during the Rule 5 Draft.

Machado spent last season with AAA Pawtucket, where he batted .260 with 12 doubles, four triples, four homers and 32 RBIs in 116 games, before being signed to a Minor League contract by the Nationals in November. Machado, 24, was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Braves in 1998. Praised mostly for his defense, Machado can play a variety of positions in the infield. Offensively, he's not the best, but seems to be what the Twins need for a reserve.

In the AAA phase of the Draft, The Twins selected right-handed pitcher Jesse Floyd and third baseman Brian Buscher, both from the San Francisco organization.

Minnesota did lose four players in the Draft, however. The biggest loss being lefty pitcher Justin Jones. The 22-year-old, who selected by Washington in the AAA portion, was taken off the Twins' 40-man roster earlier this offseason. Jones was the only player Minnesota received when they traded Doug Mientkiewicz in 2004 at the trade deadline.

Right-handed pitcher Kevin Cameron was selected by San Diego and Levale Speigner went to Washington in the Major League portion of the Draft, while outfielder Erold Andrus was chosen by Tampa Bay. A total of 46 players were taken overall.

Complete Rule Five Draft Results.