SAN DIEGO -- The Dodgers took four players in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft while losing no minor-leaugers on Thursday, the final day of baseball's winter meetings. They neither drafted nor lost any players in the major league portion of the draft.
In the Triple-A phase of the draft, the Dodgers selected outfielder Peter Lavin from the Phillies, then in the Double-A phase took pitcher Alexander Santana from the Orioles, pitcher Randy Fontanez from the Mets and shortstop Nate Samson from the Diamondbacks.
Unlike the major league portion of the Rule 5 Draft, these players can be freely moved within the organization without restriction.
Lavin hit .287/.332/.441 between Class-A and Double-A in 2014, including .283/.322/.434 with five home runs and 17 doubles in 74 games with Double-A Reading. Lavin, drafted by the Phillies in the 20th round in 2011, has played 135 games in center field, 134 games in left field and 74 games in right field in his minor league career. The left-handed hitter and thrower turns 27 on Dec. 27.
Santana, 23, was 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA in 20 relief appearances across three levels in 2014 - both Class-A levels and Double-A - including 15 games in advanced Class-A Delmarva. The right-hander struck out 48 and walked only 10 in 39⅓ innings, and is not to be confused with the other Alex Santana in the Dodgers' system, the 21-year-old outfielder who spent 2014 with Class-A Great Lakes.
Fontanez, 25, was 2-2 with a 3.74 ERA and 12 saves between Class-A and Double-A in 2014, with 66 strikeouts and 21 walks in 65 innings. He had a 4.86 ERA in 22 games with Double-A Binghamton, with 33 strikeouts and 14 walks in 33⅓ innings. The right-hander pitched for Puerto Rico in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Samson, 27, has bounced between the minors and independent ball the last two seasons. The right-handed infielder hit .274/.363/.444 in 46 games with Double-A Mobile in 2014, with six doubles and four home runs. Samson has mostly played shortstop (354 games) and second base (253 games) in his minor league career, but has also seen time at third base (70 games) and in left field (23 games) and right field (six games).