Teams had until 6 p.m. ET to set their 40-man rosters and protect players from the Rule 5 Draft, which will take place on Dec. 6 at the Winter Meetings. We tracked every organization's ranked prospects who are Rule 5-eligible here.

There were six Top 100 Prospects who required protection, starting with Rockies middle infielder Adael Amador (No. 21), and they were all virtual locks to join 40-man rosters before the deadline. But a lot of decisions weren't nearly that easy.

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We identified a tough call for every organization below. In most cases we chose a ranked prospect, though in some instances we opted for a player who stood out in the Arizona Fall League, which just concluded its season.

American League East

Blue Jays: C.J. Van Eyk, RHP (unranked on Blue Jays Top 30)
A 2020 second-round pick out of Florida State, Van Eyk had Tommy John surgery in September 2021, missed all of 2022 and worked just 34 1/3 innings this summer. But he showed one of the best curveballs in the AFL, where he logged a 2.51 ERA and struck out three batters with three different pitches in an inning of work in the Fall Stars Game.

Verdict: Not protected

Orioles: Hudson Haskin, OF (No. 17)
The Orioles’ second-round pick in 2020, Haskin did reach Triple-A this past season, but also played in just 33 games because of first a hamstring injury and then a hip impingement that required surgery. There are some tools here, with some power and speed, but to date he’s shown only glimpses of that potential while struggling to stay healthy. Given the Orioles system's outfield depth, this could be a tough one.

Verdict: Not protected

Rays: Heriberto Hernandez, OF (No. 18)
Acquired from the Rangers as part of the Nathaniel Lowe trade in December 2020, Hernandez has some of the best power and exit velocities in the Rays system. But he also hit just .249/.376/.411 with 13 homers as a 23-year-old in Double-A and doesn't offer much defensive value.

Verdict: Not protected

Red Sox: Allan Castro, OF (No. 30)
A switch-hitter with good bat-to-ball skills and a sound approach at the plate, Castro signed for $100,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2019. Still just 20, he might be more of a tweener than a regular and hit .261/.368/.405 with 19 steals at two Class A stops, so the Red Sox probably can sneak him through the Rule 5 Draft.

Verdict: Not protected

Yankees: Elijah Dunham, OF (No. 30)
Dunham quickly became an organization favorite after signing as a nondrafted free agent in 2020 out of Indiana and was the Arizona Fall League's breakout player of the year in 2021. He doesn't have a better than average tool, however, and batted .227/.330/.389 with 16 homers and 35 steals between Double-A and Triple-A.

Verdict: Not protected

American League Central

Guardians: Dayan Frias, INF (No. 25)
Thanks to his quick hands, Frias is one of the best and most versatile defenders in the Guardians' system. Signed for $80,000 out of Colombia in 2018, he hit .260/.356/.426 with 11 homers in High-A and could be left unprotected because Cleveland has other infield prospects with higher offensive ceilings.

Verdict: Not protected

Royals: Devin Mann, INF/OF (No. 27)
Part of a package from the Dodgers for Ryan Yarbrough at the Trade Deadline, Mann is 26 and doesn't have a standout tool. On the flip side, he played all four infield positions as well as left field while batting .276/.387/.502 with 20 homers in Triple-A.

Verdict: Not protected

Tigers: Keider Montero, RHP (No. 26)
Montero went unselected in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Rule 5 Drafts but is coming off the best season of the career, leading the Minors with 15 wins while compiling a 4.66 ERA with 160 strikeouts in 127 1/3 innings and advancing to Triple-A. A $40,000 sign out of Venezuela in 2016, he operates with a 92-95 mph fastball, a high-spin curveball and a solid slider.

Verdict: Protected

Twins: Austin Martin, 2B/OF (No. 20)
The No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 Draft came to the Twins in the big José Berríos deal at the 2022 Trade Deadline. He still can make a ton of contact, draw walks and run, but attempts to get him to drive the ball for extra bases with any consistency haven’t stuck. An elbow injury shelved him in 2023 for a while and he did swing the bat a little better in Triple-A late in the year (1.004 OPS in August), but the lack of impact makes this one a question mark.

Verdict: Protected

White Sox: Matthew Thompson, RHP (No. 22)
The White Sox spent $7.1 million on high school righties Thompson, Andrew Dalquist and Jared Kelley in the 2019 and 2020 Draft, and that investment has yet to pay off. A 2019 second-rounder from a Texas high school, Thompson can flash a plus fastball and curveball but got tagged for a 4.85 ERA and led the Southern League with 85 walks while striking out 136 in 124 1/3 Double-A innings.

Verdict: Not protected

American League West

Angels: Jack Kochanowicz, RHP (No. 9)
The Angels went way over slot to sign Kochanowicz out of the Pennsylvania high school ranks in 2019, and it’s been fairly rough sledding since -- in terms of both his performance and health. He throws strikes, though his command in the zone hasn’t been great, leading him to get hit. His size (6-foot-7) and raw stuff are still intriguing, but he really struggled in Double-A and barely pitched in August and September.

Verdict: Protected

Astros: Zach Daniels, OF (No. 19)
Daniels can show well above-average raw power and speed but has a history of swing-and-miss issues that includes a 31 percent strikeout rate in 2023. The 2020 fourth-rounder from Tennessee hit .277/.349/.462 with 13 homers and 22 steals in 84 games, mostly in Double-A.

Verdict: Not protected

A’s: JT Ginn, RHP (No. 18)
The Mets’ second-round pick of the 2020 Draft was sent to the A’s in the Chris Bassitt trade of 2022 and he’s continued to have trouble staying healthy. A forearm strain limited him to 12 outings in 2022 (though he threw well in the Arizona Fall League that fall), then he threw only 26 2/3 innings in 2023 as he dealt with biceps tendinitis. He has the stuff to start, though his sinker-slider combination could be an appealing bullpen asset for teams interested in nabbing him.

Verdict: Not protected

Mariners: Zach DeLoach, OF (No. 25)
The M’s second-rounder in 2020, DeLoach continued to draw a ton of walks (13.3 percent BB rate) and strikeouts (27.8 percent). But he did hit 30 doubles and 23 homers in Triple-A this past season and has seen time in all three outfield positions, so the 25-year-old’s combination of power, patience and positional flexibility could put him in line for a big league bench role somewhere.

Verdict: Protected

Rangers: Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, RHP (unranked)
Hoopii-Tuionetoa has blossomed from 2019 30th-round pick out of Pierce (Wash.) CC to a reliever with a mid-90s fastball and a hard slider. After missing the first half of the season due to injury, he was one of the better bullpen performers in the AFL, striking out 10 in 9 2/3 scoreless innings.

Verdict: Not protected

National League East

Braves: Tyler Owens, RHP (No. 27)
The Braves signed Owens by going well over slot in Round 13 of the 2019 Draft, but then he didn’t pitch in 2020 because of the pandemic and missed most of the 2021 season due to arm trouble. His power repertoire has shown glimpses of being effective in relief and as a starter and he reached Double-A in 2023. As an undersized right-hander with a fastball that touches 98 mph in shorter stints to go along with a hard slider, he could draw interest from teams open to keeping him in the 'pen and seeing how that combination plays in the big leagues.

Verdict: Not protected

Marlins: Will Banfield, C (No. 28)
Banfield landed a $1.8 million bonus as a supplemental second-rounder out of a Georgia high school because scouts regarded him as the catcher with the highest defensive ceiling in the 2018 Draft. He still has a plus-plus arm and moves well behind the plate, but his bat remains a question even after he hit .258/.302/.472 with 23 homers in Double-A.

Verdict: Not protected

Mets: Justin Jarvis, RHP (No. 15)
Originally drafted by the Brewers in 2018 out of the North Carolina high school ranks, Jarvis was finding some consistent success in Double-A in 2023 and got bumped up to Triple-A before being sent to the Mets for Mark Canha, and he didn’t throw particularly well with Syracuse post-trade. But he has a four-pitch mix and could be a back-end starter capable of eating innings.

Verdict: Not protected

Phillies: Oliver Dunn, INF (Unranked)
The Phillies got Dunn from the Yankees in the Minor League phase of last year’s Rule 5 Draft, and he turned in a solid year in hitting-friendly Reading, with a .902 OPS, albeit he was a touch old for the Double-A Eastern League. He then took advantage of an invitation to the AFL, hitting .343/.455/.616 with 12 steals in 19 games. He’s also shown a willingness to play second, third and a corner outfield spot, perhaps making the 26-year-old a potential utilityman type at the highest level.

Verdict: Protected -- traded to the Brewers and added to Milwaukee's 40-man roster

Nationals: Kevin Made, SS (No. 15)
Though the Nationals just acquired Made from the Cubs in July as part of the Jeimer Candelario deal, they could try to save a roster spot because he's so raw at the plate and has yet to advance past High-A. He has well above-average arm strength and plays a quality shortstop, but he batted just .218/.307/.319 in High-A during his age-20 season.

Verdict: Not protected

National League Central

Reds: Rece Hinds, OF (No. 10)
Hinds has had a power-over-hit profile since the Reds went over slot to sign him in the second round of the 2019 Draft, and he had to deal with multiple injuries that kept him from getting needed reps. Relatively healthy in 2023, the outfielder showed the power might play, with 23 homers in Double-A (.536 SLG) to go along with 20 steals. His 151/34 K/BB ratio points to him perhaps not being ready for the big leagues, but the Reds would have to decide to roll the dice that another team won’t try to let that pop play in 2024.

Verdict: Protected

Brewers: Freddy Zamora, SS (No. 26)
Zamora was hurt (torn ACL) when the Brewers took him in the second round of the 2020 Draft, then a shoulder injury in 2022 limited him to just 24 games. He does make contact and limits strikeouts while drawing some walks, but there’s concern about impact. But he can really defend at a premium position and he started mixing in some second base in 2023, so a team might look at the glove and contact skills and think he deserves a shot at a utility role.

Verdict: Not protected

Pirates: Braxton Ashcraft, RHP (No. 12)
It was an easier decision for the Pirates not to protect Ashcraft a year ago because Tommy John surgery had knocked out his 2022 season. But the 2018 second-rounder came back this past season and while he was on a short leash, he threw well (2.39 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) over 52 2/3 innings while reaching Double-A. There’s ceiling here as a starter with a fastball that has good life and two distinct breaking pitches, and the risk is a team would take a chance and let that stuff play in a big league bullpen if the Pirates don’t protect him.

Verdict: Protected

Cardinals: Adam Kloffenstein, RHP (No. 17)
The Cardinals thought highly enough of the 2018 third-round pick of the Blue Jays to get him in the deal for Jordan Hicks at the Trade Deadline this past season. He’s coming off his best overall campaign (3.16 ERA, .228 BAA), including pitching well at Triple-A post-trade. That comes after two pretty rough seasons in the Blue Jays' system, but if the Cards think that what they saw is for real, this may not be that tough of a decision.

Verdict: Protected

Cubs: Kohl Franklin, RHP (No. 28)
Franklin became one of the Cubs' top pitching prospects soon after signing for third-round money ($450,000) as a sixth-round pick from an Oklahoma high school in 2018, but injuries and control issues have delayed his development. The nephew of former All-Star closer Ryan Franklin, he still can reach 97 mph with his fastball and miss bats with three secondary pitches but posted a 5.99 ERA in Double-A this season following a strong start in High-A.

Verdict: Not protected

National League West

Dodgers: Hunter Feduccia, C (No. 29)
The Dodgers value Feduccia's blocking and receiving ability but may have too much talent to protect a 26-year-old catcher who won't be more than a backup. A 12th-round pick from Louisiana State in 2018, he hit .279/.387/.451 with 11 homers in 90 Triple-A games.

Verdict: Protected

Giants: Jairo Pomares, OF (No. 17)
Pomares possesses one of the more interesting bats in the Giants' system but has gone from hitting .334/.378/.629 in 2021 to slashing .266/.339/.476 last year to playing just nine games this summer because of a severe quad strain. Signed for $975,000 in 2018 after leaving Cuba, he's a bat-first player who'll probably wind up in left field.

Verdict: Not protected

Rockies: Juan Mejia, RHP (Unranked)
Power-armed relievers will always get long looks in the Rule 5 Draft, and Mejia may have put himself in the Rockies’ 40-man conversation, as well as the Rule 5 discussion with 29 other teams, following his strong AFL performance. He’s always missed bats (10.8 K/9), and he struck out 13.2 per nine in 2023, then whiffed 16 in 8 2/3 IP this fall showing off an electric fastball (up to 98 mph) and slider. Command is the big issue (4.3 BB/9 in his career), and he walked nine in the AFL, making this less than a slam dunk.

Verdict: Protected

Padres: Brandon Valenzuela, C (No. 9)
Signed back in 2017, Valenzuela went unprotected in the San Diego system in 2021 or 2022 because he was so far from the big leagues. After he reached Double-A in 2023, is this the year? He didn’t hit there (.542 OPS in 27 games) and missed the last month of the season. He’s a patient switch-hitter and can really catch and throw, but it remains to be seen if the Padres think they can hold off one more year, with the history of Rule 5 catchers working in their favor.

Verdict: Not protected

D-backs: Kristian Robinson, OF (No. 11)
Legal issues stemming from an April 2020 incident kept Robinson from playing in official competition for nearly four seasons, but he made an impressive return in 2023 over 65 games, reaching Double-A for the first time. A one-time Top 100 prospect, Robinson hit 14 homers and swiped 23 bases during this last season. The tools point to him being worthy of a 40-man spot, but could his missed time and strikeout rate (31.6 percent in 2023) make Arizona think it can wait a year?

Verdict: Not protected