Maybe the Reds paid the Cubs back for the Josh Hamilton favor.

OK, that's probably a little over the top. But in an example of how this sort of thing works ("you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours"), the Reds drafted David Patton, a 24-year-old righthanded reliever, from the Colorado Rockies' Triple-A team at Colorado Springs.

The Reds then dealt him to the Cubs for "a cash consideration". As for any Rule 5 draftee, I believe he'll have to stay on the 25-man roster all year or be returned to the Rockies (someone please confirm this for me).

It's a low-risk move; Patton had 87 K in 50 innings at High-A Modesto in the California League. He was added to the 40-man roster, which now stands at 37 (I'd expect Nate Spears, who wasn't taken in the Rule 5 draft, to be added to the 40-man soon). Patton made nine appearances in the Arizona Fall League with an unsightly 9.24 ERA, allowing 22 hits in 12.2 innings.