LAS VEGAS -- The Detroit Tigers took a chance on a left-handed pitcher in Thursday's Rule 5 draft of players left off 40-man major league rosters, and lost a minor league catcher as Baseball's winter meetings concluded.
Detroit selected Kyle Bloom from the Pittsburgh Pirates and had left handed-hitting James Skelton taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Skelton was the West Michigan Whitecaps' best hitter in 2007, hitting .309 with seven home runs and 52 RBIs.
The Tigers must pay the Pirates $50,000 for Bloom and keep him on their 25-man major league roster all of the 2009 season or return him for $25,000. The Diamondbacks must follow the same transaction regulations with Detroit in regard to Skelton.
Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said Bloom, 25, will "make it very interesting if he throws like he did in Hawaii." Bloom was 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 32 strikeouts and 11 walks in 30 innings for the West Oahu CaneFires.
Skelton hit .294 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in 85 at-bats at Double-A Erie, and batted .307 with three homers and 23 RBIs in 212 at-bats with Class A Lakeland.
"We just don't think he's ready to play in the big leagues," Dombrowski said.
