Beech Tree News Network

Ahead of Tuesday's deadline, the St. Louis Cardinals added four players to their 40-man roster to protect them from being selected in next month's Rule 5 Draft. One player from Butler County, Keith Butler.
 
St. Louis purchased the contracts of right-handed pitchers Michael Blazek, Keith Butler and Eric Fornataro and left-hander Kevin Siegrist. All four players ended the 2012 season at Double-A Springfield.
 
Major League Baseball's deadline to protect players was Tuesday at 10:59 p.m. CT. Players first signed at age 18 must be added to 40-man rosters within five years or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process. Players signed at 19 years old are to be protected within four years.
 
Clubs pay $50,000 to select a player in the Rule 5 Draft, to be held on Dec. 6 at the conclusion of the Winter Meetings in Nashville. If that player doesn't stay on the 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $25,000.
 
With the additions, the Cardinals' 40-man roster is at 39 players.
 
Butler, 23, led Springfield with 25 saves, finishing second in the Texas League, and he was 5-1 with a 2.76 ERA in 53 appearances -- all in relief. He was the Cardinals' 24th-round selection in the 2009 Draft. Butler is a graduate of Butler County High School where he was a standout pitcher. He played college baseball at Wabash Valley College.