Detroit Tigers Infielder Gage Workman Taken By Chicago Cubs in Rule 5 Draft
The Detroit Tigers lost an infielder to the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday afternoon.
With the 10th overall selection in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft, the Chiacgo Cubs took Tigers shortstop Gage Workman.
Since this is a Rule 5 draft selection, Workman must stay on the Cubs' MLB roster for the entire season, or else he will be returned to Detroit for $50,000.
Players are eligible for the draft if they are not added to their club's 40-man roster within four to five years depending on their age.
Workman was selected out of college in the 2020 MLB draft and was not yet added to the 40-man, which makes him eligible to be selected. The Tigers did not select anyone.
The 25-year-old has not made significant improvements in his game since being drafted, so Detroit is likely not freaking out about this loss.
He has been at the Double-A level since 2022. His overall slash line in the minors is .248/.327/.435.
The biggest improvement he has made is with finally showing home run power. He hit 14 home runs in his three year college career and has hit at least 12 in each of his minor league seasons. He hit 18 home runs and had 89 RBI with 30 stolen bases in 2024.
Workman was listed as the No. 29 overall prospect in the Tigers farm system according to the MLB pipeline rankings.
"Workman always had a decent floor because of his above-average speed, overall actions on the dirt and impressive arm strength. He’s a solid defensive shortstop as is but has got the lion’s share of his work in 2024 at third base, where he’s an even better fit. His aggressiveness on the basepaths should make him a constant stolen-base threat too. Workman went unprotected and unpicked in last year’s Rule 5 Draft but has made a stronger case for protection this year as a late-blooming utility infielder," said his scouring report.
Chicago will likely keep him around as a depth utility infielder with the hopes he can also act as a pinch hitter and pinch runner. He can't hit southpaws very well, but can hit righties.
He has a higher ceiling than Miles Mastrobuoni, who was the Cubs' utility man for much of last season. If Mastrobuoni was able to stick around with a .194/.245/.225 slash line last season, there is a good chance that Workman can survive the season in Chicago.
