DALLAS — For the second straight season, the Red Sox lost left-hander Cesar Cabral to the Rule 5 draft.

This marks the second straight winter meetings that has seen the Sox part ways with Cabral, who was selected by the Royals on Thursday and then traded to the Yankees. Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters that Cabral could be a second lefty in the New York bullpen behind Boone Logan.

A year ago, the 22-year-old was selected by the Rays in the Rule 5, but was placed on waivers by Tampa Bay in spring training. He was briefly claimed by the Blue Jays, but ultimately ended up back with the Red Sox when he did not stick in Toronto.

Cabral went on to have a solid year in High-A Salem and Double-A Portland, producing a 2.95 ERA, 70 strikeouts and 22 walks in a combined 55 innings. He features a solid fastball that is typically in the 93-94 mph vicinity, as well as a slider that produces swings and misses and a developing changeup.

His combination of stuff, left-handedness and age led the Sox to anticipate that he might be selected by another organization; at the same time, he is raw enough that the team believes there is a good chance that it could get Cabral back (something that will happen if he does not stick in the majors all year with the Yankees or, if he is claimed off waivers, another team), explaining why he was not placed on the 40-man roster.

Even so, the number of players who have stuck with the teams selecting them in the Rule 5 draft has increased in recent years. And Cabral has the strikeout numbers and stuff to be intriguing.