Teams set 40-man rosters ahead of Rule 5 Draft
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With only 40 spots on each organization's roster, there were some very tough decisions for teams to make this time of year as to which prospects to protect.
The deadline to make those choices has come and gone. Some players were protected with a coveted 40-man spot, while the others will be exposed to selection by the 29 other teams in the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 14 at the Winter Meetings in Orlando.
Players first signed at age 18 must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process. Players signed at 19 years or older have to be protected within four seasons. Clubs pay $100,000 to select a player in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. 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 $50,000.
For this year, that means an international or high school Draft pick signed in 2013 -- assuming he was 18 or younger as of June 5 of that year -- has to be protected. A college player taken in the 2014 Draft is in the same position.
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There were eight players on MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects list who needed to be protected. All eight joined their organization's roster as the deadline passed.
Rank, Name, Position, Organization
1. Gleyber Torres, SS, Yankees
*4. Eloy Jiménez, OF, White Sox
*11. Brent Honeywell, RHP, Rays
*16. Austin Meadows, OF, Pirates
*63. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP, Twins
*72. Jake Bauers, OF/1B, Rays
*86. Tyler O'Neill, OF, Cardinals
*97. Jorge Mateo, SS/OF, A's
Indicates that a player has been added to his team's 40-man roster.
Last year, there were 12 Top 100 players who needed to be protected. In 2015, there were 11. And every one of those 23 players were added to 40-man rosters.
There are obviously many more Minor Leaguers under consideration. There were 153 prospects on organizational Top 30 lists hoping to get added to a 40-man roster. That's up from last year, when there were 144 hoping to be protected. A total of 85 of them (55.6%) were protected. That's down a touch from last year, when 58% (84 of 144) were protected. In 2015, 75 of 156 (48%) Top 30 prospects landed on rosters.
Here's a list of all 30 teams' Top 30 prospects who needed to be protected to avoid being exposed to the Rule 5 Draft, along with non-Top 30 prospects who were given coveted roster spots.
Arizona Diamondbacks (4)
- Brad Keller, RHP
*17. Jared Miller, LHP - Victor Reyes, OF
- Jose Almonte, RHP
Atlanta Braves (3) - Travis Demeritte, 2B/3B
- Dustin Peterson, OF
*23. Ricardo Sánchez, LHP
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Grant Dayton, LHP
Adam McCreery, LHP
Baltimore Orioles (4)
*7. Hunter Harvey, RHP - Randolph Gassaway, OF
*28. David Hess, RHP - John Means, LHP
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Austin Wynns, C
Boston Red Sox (7)
*16. Jalen Beeks, LHP
*20. Williams Jerez, LHP
*21. Chandler Shepherd, RHP - Jake Cosart, RHP
- Kyle Martin, RHP
- Hildemaro Requena, RHP
- Jhonathan Diaz, LHP
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Ty Buttrey, RHP
Chicago Cubs (7)
*1. Oscar De La Cruz, RHP
*3. Adbert Alzolay, RHP - Trevor Clifton, RHP
- Chesny Young, 2B/SS/OF
- Charcer Burks, OF
- Erling Moreno, RHP
- Jose Paulino, LHP
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Matt Carasiti, RHP
David Bote, INF
Chicago White Sox (7)
*1. Eloy Jimenez, OF
*11. Casey Gillaspie, 1B
*14. Micker Adolfo, OF
*17. Luis Alexander Basabe, OF - Jordan Guerrero, LHP
*22. Ian Clarkin, LHP - Luis Martinez, RHP
Cincinnati Reds (6)
*7. Shed Long, 2B
20, Gavin LaValley, 1B
*22. Jose Siri, OF
*25. Alex Blandino, 2B/SS - Nick Longhi, 1B/OF
- Michael Beltre, OF
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Jose Lopez, RHP
Jesus Reyes, RHP
Zack Weiss, RHP
Cleveland Indians (3)
*4. Yu-Cheng Chang, SS
*9. Willie Castro, SS
*12. Julian Merryweather, RHP
Non-Top 30 prospect added:
Eric Haase, C
Eric Stamets, INF
Colorado Rockies (5)
*12. Sam Howard, LHP - Dom Nunez, C
- James Farris, RHP
- Harrison Musgrave, LHP
*28. Noel Cuevas, OF
Non-Top 30 prospect added:
Yonathan Daza OF
Chris Rabago C
Jesús Tinoco RHP
Detroit Tigers (7)
*10. Michael Gerber, OF
*12. Gregory Soto, LHP - Jose Azocar, OF
*24. Sergio Alcántara, SS
*25. Gerson Moreno, RHP - Adam Ravenelle, RHP
*28. Spencer Turnbull, RHP
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Grayson Greiner, C
Eduardo Jimenez, RHP
Gregory Soto, LHP
Ryan Carpenter, LHP
Houston Astros (4)
*7. Cionel Perez, LHP - Jason Martin, OF
*26. Dean Deetz, RHP
Kansas City Royals (3) - Ryan O'Hearn, 1B
*17. Meibrys Viloria, C - Marten Gasparini, OF
Non-Top 30 prospect added:
Tim Hill, LHP
Eric Stout, LHP
Los Angeles Angels (6)
*8. Jaime Barria, RHP
*12. Michael Hermosillo, OF
*14. Jesus Adrian Castillo, RHP
*21. Jake Jewell, RHP - Osmer Morales, RHP
- Damien Magnifico, RHP
Los Angeles Dodgers (2)
*12. Dennis Santana, RHP
*14. Trevor Oaks, RHP
Miami Marlins (7)
*6. Merandy Gonzalez, RHP - Jeff Brigham, RHP
*22. Pablo López, RHP - Ricardo Cespedes, OF
- Isael Soto, OF
*25. Caleb Smith, LHP - John Norwood, OF
- Austin Dean, OF
Non-Top 30 prospect added:
Miguel Del Pozo, LHP
Garrett Cooper, INF
Braxton Lee, OF
James Needy, RHP
Milwaukee Brewers (4)
*9. Mauricio Dubón, SS/2B
*11. Freddy Peralta, RHP
*15. Marcos Diplán, RHP
*19. Jacob Nottingham, C/1B
Minnesota Twins (7)
*3. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP - Kohl Stewart, RHP
- Lewin Diaz, 1B
*15. Lewis Thorpe, LHP
*16. Zack Littell, RHP - Jake Reed, RHP
- Nick Burdi, RHP
New York Mets (7)
*11. Luis Guillorme, SS - Wuilmer Becerra, OF
- Jhoan Urena, 3B
- Luis Carpio, SS
- Ali Sanchez, C
*27. Corey Oswalt, RHP
*30. Gerson Bautista, RHP
Non-Top 30 prospect added:
Tyler Bashlor, RHP
New York Yankees (6)
*1. Gleyber Torres, INF
*6. Domingo Acevedo, RHP
*7. Albert Abreu, RHP
*17. Thairo Estrada, SS/2B
*18. Jake Cave, OF
*23. Billy McKinney, OF/1B
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Jonathan Loaisiga, RHP
Oakland A's (4)
*4. Jorge Mateo, SS/OF
*13. Yairo Muñoz, INF/OF
*18. Ramon Laureano, OF
*20. Heath Fillmyer, RHP - Casey Meisner, RHP
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Lou Trivino, RHP
Philadelphia Phillies (5)
*7. Franklyn Kilome, RHP
*14. Ranger Suarez, LHP - Jose Gomez, INF
- Carlos Tocci, OF
*28. Seranthony Dominguez, RHP
Non-Top 30 prospect added:
Jose Taveras, RHP
Pittsburgh Pirates (6)
*1. Austin Meadows, OF
*16. Luis Escobar, RHP - Yeudy Garcia, RHP
- Tyler Eppler, RHP
*29. Dario Agrazal, RHP - Adrian Valerio, SS
San Diego Padres (0)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Jose Castillo, LHP
Brad Wieck, LHP
San Francisco Giants (5)
*3. Tyler Beede, RHP
*8. Aramis Garcia, C/1B - Sam Coonrod, RHP
- Jordan Johnson, RHP
- Kelvin Beltre, 2B
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Tyler Herb RHP
D.J. Snelten LHP
Seattle Mariners (5) - Luis Liberato, OF
- Anthony Jimenez, OF
- Greifer Andrade, OF
- Ian Miller, OF
- Chuck Taylor, OF
St. Louis Cardinals (3)
*4. Tyler O'Neill, OF
*15. Austin Gomber, LHP
*18. Oscar Mercado, OF
Non-Top 30 prospect added:
Derian Gonzalez, RHP
Tampa Bay Rays (6)
*1. Brent Honeywell, RHP
*5. Jake Bauers, OF/1B
*10. Justin Williams, OF
*19. Yonny Chrinos, RHP
*23. Ryan Yarbrough, LHP - Nick Cuiffo, C
Non-Top 30 prospect added:
Diego Castillo, RHP
Jose Mujica, RHP
Texas Rangers (6)
*9. Ariel Jurado, RHP
*10. Brett Martin, LHP
*12. Joe Palumbo, LHP
*13. Jose Trevino, C
*21. Jonathan Hernandez, RHP - Michael De Leon, SS
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, INF
Ronald Herrera, RHP
Toronto Blue Jays (9) - Max Pentecost, C/1B
*11. Conner Greene, RHP
*12. Rowdy Tellez, 1B
*17. Danny Jansen, C - Jordan Romano, RHP
*21. Thomas Pannone, LHP - Francisco Rios, RHP
- Patrick Murphy, RHP
- Angel Perdomo, LHP
Non-Top 30 prospect added:
Reese McGuire, C
Washington Nationals (4)
*12. Kelvin Gutierrez, 3B - Drew Ward, 3B
- Taylor Gushue, C
- Osvaldo Abreu, SS/2B
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Wander Suero, RHP
Jefry Rodriguez, RHP