The Orioles have selected Red Sox prospect Michael Almanzar in the Major League portion of the 2013 Rule 5 draft.
Almanzar, 23, was signed for a $1.5 million bonus all the way back in 2007. At the time, he was a shortstop prospect with power to dream on. His lack of plate discipline was exposed at even the lowest levels of the minors, however, and since then it's been mostly downhill. The last couple of years have seen Almanzar's stock rise some, his numbers ticking up in Salem and Portland from their depths during a three-year stint in Greenville, but at this point he's a corner infielder with a bad glove and lots of work to do at the plate.
That begs the question, then: what are the Orioles going to do with him? It's hard to imagine they're planning to keep him on the roster--he's simply not a major league player yet by any stretch of the imagination. And if he gets bumped from the 25-man, he's headed right back to the Red Sox.
Given his raw power, the Sox would certainly not mind having him back. He's not a good player right now, but should he ever does learn when to swing and when to take, the Sox would prefer that happens with them. Hopefully this ends as you might expect: with Almanzar back in Portland or Pawtucket.