MN Twins Rule 5 Draftee Lands Back Where He Came From

The Minnesota Twins wrapped up their Grapefruit League schedule on Monday. Rocco Baldelli’s team finished with a 13-15-3 record down in Fort Myers. After announcing that Randy Dobnak earned the final bullpen spot, the roster was set.

Last week the Minnesota Twins informed Rule 5 Draft pick (RHP) Eiberson Castellano he would not make the team. In the Rule 5 Draft bylaws, a drafting team ( in this case the Twins) must pay the originating team (the Phillies) $100,000 to take away one of their unprotected, eligible prospects (Castellano).

But if that Rule 5 pick, however, is removed from his new team’s 26-man roster during the next year league year, he goes on waivers for other teams to add to their active roster. If no team claims him, the released Rule 5 draft pick is offered back to his original team for half ($50,000) of what they were paid for him.

Eiberson Castellano clears waivers, leaves Minnesota Twins for Philadelphia Phillies

And that’s exactly what happened to Castellano on Tuesday, after 29 other teams passed on claiming him for their 26-man roster before the start of the 2025 MLB regular season. He was offered back to the Phillies, who paid half of the Twins’ money back, in order to get Castellano back in their organization.

Twins Rule 5 pick Eiberson Castellano cleared waivers and was returned back to the Phillies.

— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) March 25, 2025

This spring, Castellano worked 10 2/3 innings across seven games. He allowed ten runs (nine earned) on nine hits. The part that sank him was a 13/10 K/BB rate. If there’s something a Rule 5 pitcher absolutely cannot do during Spring Training, it’s give up free passes.

There was some thought that Castellano could secure the final bullpen spot after both Michael Tonkin and Brock Stewart went down. He would have operated as a long man for a unit that should be among the best in the big leagues. Baldelli certainly couldn’t have that arm allowing games to blow up worse though. Dobnak had a 7/3 K/BB in six scoreless innings this spring.

Last season in 103 2/3 innings between High-A and Double-A for the Phillies, Castellano posted a 3.99 ERA with an 11.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9. It’s likely he rebounds just fine and sees success repeating Double-A and moving up to Triple-A.

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It’s always difficult to make the leap to the big leagues as a Rule 5 selection. There is always a reason that the original club didn’t see value in adding the player to their 40-man roster. Castellano’s experience with the Twins could springboard him into a nice season.