Nats get Rosenbaum back from Rockies

VIERA, Fla. -- The Nationals have received Rule 5 draft pick Daniel Rosenbaum back from the Rockies, re-acquiring a left-hander who could serve as rotation insurance this season.

Rosenbaum, 25, was selected by the Rockies in December's Rule 5 draft and was making a bid to crack their Opening Day roster. He allowed four runs in eight innings of work this spring, but Colorado's late signing of veteran right-hander Jon Garland ate up the last available spot on the pitching staff and made Rosenbaum expendable.

Per Rule 5 regulations, the Rockies were required to pass Rosenbaum through waivers and then offer him back to the Nationals for $25,000 (one-half of the original cost to draft him). The Nationals elected to re-acquire him and plan to have him join the rotation at Class AAA Syracuse to begin the season.

A 22nd-round pick in 2009 out of Xavier University, Rosenbaum

Nats get Kobernus back from Tigers

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- The Nationals have received Rule 5 draft pick Jeff Kobernus back from the Tigers, re-stocking their farm system with the highly regarded second baseman.

Kobernus had been trying to make Detroit's Opening Day roster as a utilityman and had received more playing time than almost anyone else in the Tigers' camp. But he hit just .220 (11-for-50) with a .291 on-base percentage and was likely beaten out by outfielder Matt Tuiasosopo (who homered twice against the Nationals this week) for the final spot on the Opening Day bench.

Per Rule 5 draft regulations, the Tigers were required to pass Kobernus through waivers and then give the Nationals the option of re-acquiring him (in exchange for $25,000 of the original $50,000 spent to draft him). General manager Dave Dombrowski told reporters he attempted to work out a trade with counterpart Mike Rizzo, but the Nationals wanted the 24-year-old back in their

Nats lose Rosenbaum, Kobernus

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Having spent the better portion of their history swiping minor leaguers from other, more talent-laden organizations through the Rule 5 draft, the Nationals now are finding out what it's like to have their own prospects plucked away.

The Nationals lost two players this morning in the major-league portion of the annual event that closes the Winter Meetings: left-hander Danny Rosenbaum (who went to the Rockies) and second baseman Jeff Kobernus (who went to the Red Sox).

The Nationals then lost left-hander Jack McGeary (Red Sox) and right-hander Hector Nelo (Dodgers) during the Class AAA portion of the draft.

The club didn't select anyone in any of the draft's three rounds.

Though neither was expected to have a significant impact on the Nationals' big-league roster next season, Rosenbaum and Kobernus each were highly regarded in the organization and could have been needed for depth in the next year or two.

"You set your rosters and you know you're always taking chances on losing any of your prospects," assistant general manager Bryan

Nats add Karns, Davis to 40-man

The Nationals purchased the contracts of Nathan Karns and Erik Davis tonight, adding both right-handers to their 40-man roster and protecting them from being selected in next month's Rule 5 draft.

All major-league clubs were required to finalize their 40-man rosters before midnight, with any eligible players who were not added to the roster now available to other clubs via the Rule 5 draft.

Among those left unprotected by the Nationals were left-hander Danny Rosenbaum, second baseman Jeff Kobernus and outfielder Destin Hood.

The Nationals were more worried about Karns and Davis being plucked away in the draft, which requires the player's new club to keep him on the big-league roster for a full season or else offer him back to his former organization.

Karns, who turns 25 on Sunday, earned organizational pitcher of the year honors after going a combined 11-4 with a 2.17 ERA in 24

Who needs to be protected?

US Presswire photo

Mike Rizzo has some roster decisions to make today.

One of baseball's many obscure deadlines strikes tonight at midnight, when players eligible for the Rule 5 draft must be added to their club's 40-man rosters or else risk being snatched away by other organizations.

Rarely do these decisions result in total disaster for teams -- how many people even remember the Nationals lost Brad Meyers and Erik Komatsu in last year's Rule 5 draft, and how many of those remember both players were ultimately returned to the organization? -- but there's always a chance a team could make a major miscalculation and lose a top prospect.

So general manager Mike Rizzo and his player development folks have some important decisions to make before the end of the night.

For the uninitiated (or the confused) here's a quick refresher course on how this all works...

-- Any players in the Nationals' organization who signed at age 18 and have played in parts of at least five seasons, plus any who

Nats get Meyers back from Yankees

The Nationals have re-acquired right-hander Brad Meyers after the Yankees sent the Rule 5 draft pick back to Washington following an injury-plagued season.

Meyers, 27, was selected away by New York in last December's Rule 5 draft and was expected to spend the season on the big-league roster (per draft rules). But he landed on the disabled list with a shoulder cartilage injury prior to Opening Day and never returned.

Meyers wound up making only one professional appearance in 2012, giving up eight runs on eight hits in an April 9 rehab start for Class A Tampa that lasted only 1 2/3 innings. He was subsequently transferred to the 60-day DL, where he remained the rest of the year.

Because he spent the season on the DL, Meyers would again have to remain on the Yankees' 25-man roster in 2013 or else be offered