Chicago Cubs select relief pitcher in Rule 5 draft
As the winter meetings wrapped up Thursday, the Cubs didn't trade any big-name stars like Kris Bryant or Willson Contreras.
And they didn't leave San Diego empty-handed.
In Thursday's major-league Rule 5 Draft, the Cubs selected right-handed pitcher Trevor Megill from the Padres.
Getting Megill cost the Cubs $100,000, and he has to stay on the 26-man roster during the entire 2020 season or be offered back to San Diego for $50,000.
A 6-foot-8, 235-pounder, Megill was the Padres' seventh-round draft pick in 2015 out of Loyola Marymount.
Pitching for high Class A Lake Elsinore, AA Amarillo and AAA El Paso last season, Megill was 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA and 6 saves in 39 relief appearances. He also had 87 strikeouts in 60⅔ innings.
"Megill's a guy we tried to trade for prior to the rosters being set in November," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer told reporters. "He's a guy we've liked and have had good reports on. He's a big, physical right-hand reliever that had a good year last year in Triple-A. We're excited he was there."
In the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 Draft, the Cubs selected four players, including pitcher Brock Stewart.
An Illinois State product, Stewart made 13 relief appearances for the Dodgers and Blue Jays last season. The 28-year-old righty was 4-0 with a 9.82 ERA.
In the major-league Rule 5 Draft, the Cubs lost infielder Vimael Machin and right-handed pitcher Michael Rucker.