Victorino picked in
Rule 5 draft again

For the second time in three years, Shane Victorino was selected in Major League Baseball's annual Rule 5 Draft for players not on any team's 40-man roster.

The Philadelphia Phillies made Victorino the seventh pick in the first round Monday. He was taken from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the same team that lost the outfielder from St. Anthony to the San Diego Padres in 2002.

Victorino began the 2003 season as the fourth outfielder with the Padres, but hit just .151 in 36 games and was returned to the Dodgers.

Last summer he hit .235 for the Dodgers' Triple-A Pacific Coast League team in Las Vegas, then was transferred to Jacksonville (Fla.) in the Double-A Southern League, where he hit .328 with a team-leading 16 homers.

Victorino is currently playing in Venezuela for Zulia Aguilas, where he is hitting .273. His eight homers and 36 RBIs are a team best. He leads the league in triples (7) and stolen bases (7) and is tied for second in extra-base hits (24)

Pat Scalabrini planned to play winter ball in Colombia, but the Baltimore Orioles purchased his contract from the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the independent Northern League on Dec. 3.

The former Hawaii Rainbow was the Northern League's All-Star third baseman after hitting. 322 with 20 homers and a league-best 56 extra-base hits in 2004.

Three of the five free agents with Hawaii ties have found new teams for 2005.

Third baseman Chris Truby (Damien) signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals.

Infielder Keoni DeRenne (Iolani, Arizona) has re-signed (Triple-A contract) with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Big Island-born right-handed reliever Brandon Villafuerte has agreed to terms with the San Francisco Giants on a minor league contract.