Which prospects got spots before the 40-man roster deadline passed?
Joe Trezza
For all 30 Major League teams, some of the biggest decisions of the offseason had to be made by Tuesday's deadline for setting 40-man rosters. Any player eligible for the Rule 5 Draft and not added to his organization’s roster by 6 p.m. ET now will be available to be selected by another organization. The Draft will take place at the Winter Meetings in Dallas on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
Players first signed at age 18 or younger 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 26-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 prospect or high school Draft pick signed in 2020 at age 18 or younger had to be protected. A college player -- or 19-year-old high school player -- taken in the 2021 Draft was in the same position.
There were four players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list who needed to be protected:
+ indicates player has been added to the 40-man roster
It would have been surprising for any of those prospects to not end up on 40-man rosters by the deadline. Over the previous nine seasons, all 94 eligible Top 100 prospects got roster spots:
This year, 95 players on organizational Top 30 lists had to be added or exposed to the Rule 5 Draft. Below is the year-by-year percentage of prospects ranked on organizational Top 30 lists added to 40-man rosters:
2024: 38 of 95 (40.0 percent)
2023: 54 of 152 (35.5 percent)
2022: 76 of 176 (43.2 percent)
2021: 80 of 169 (47.3 percent)
2020: 86 of 174 (49.4 percent)
2019: 87 of 149 (58.3 percent)
2018: 71 of 149 (47.6 percent)
2017: 85 of 153 (55.6 percent)
2016: 84 of 144 (58.0 percent)
2015: 75 of 156 (48.0 percent)
If you noticed this year’s Rule 5 eligible pool is a bit smaller than usual, you’re not wrong. There is a reason for that. Fewer players were signed in 2020 than is typical due to the unusual circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. And then in 2021 the Draft was truncated to 20 rounds, down from 40 before the pandemic. Fewer prospects overall were signed during that period compared to years prior, leading to the smaller crop of Rule 5 eligible prospects this winter.
More from MLB Pipeline:
• Top 100 prospects | Stats | Video | Podcast | Complete coverage
Here's a list of all 30 teams' Top 30 prospects who had to be protected to avoid being exposed to the Rule 5 Draft:
Arizona Diamondbacks
Christian Cerda, C (No. 29)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Joe Elbis, RHP
Tim Tawa, UTIL
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Ryan Cusick, RHP
Atlanta Braves
Luis De Avila, LHP (No. 15)
Baltimore Orioles
Juan Nuñez, RHP (No. 8)
+ Brandon Young, RHP (No. 19)
Alex Pham, RHP (No. 25)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Kade Strowd, RHP
Chicago Cubs
+ Owen Caissie, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 34)
Pablo Aliendo, C (No. 13)
Christian Franklin, OF (No. 22)
+ Benjamin Cowles, SS (No. 29)
Chicago White Sox
+ Colson Montgomery, SS (No. 3/MLB No. 37)
Wilfred Veras, 3B (No. 25)
+ Juan Carela, RHP (No. 26)
Cincinnati Reds
No players.
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Tyler Callihan, INF
Luis Mey, RHP
Cleveland Guardians
+ Doug Nikhazy, LHP (No. 24)
+ Petey Halpin, OF (No. 26)
Ryan Webb, LHP (No. 27)
+ Franco Aleman, RHP (No. 30)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Nic Enright, RHP
Colorado Rockies
+ Zac Veen, OF (No. 3/MLB No. 83)
Warming Bernabel, 3B (No. 24)
Yujanyer Herrera, RHP (No. 29)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Chase Lee, RHP
Tyler Mattison, RHP
Tyler Owens, RHP
Houston Astros
+ Colton Gordon, LHP (No. 11)
Alimber Santa, RHP (No. 16)
Rhett Kouba, RHP (No. 24)
Colin Barber, OF (No. 30)
Los Angeles Angels
+ Matthew Lugo, OF (No. 12)
Ryan Costeiu, RHP (No. 15)
Adrian Placencia, SS (No. 22)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Jack Dashwood, LHP
Los Angeles Dodgers
Austin Gauthier, SS (No. 24)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Jack Dreyer, LHP
Miami Marlins
+ Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B (No. 4)
+ Jared Serna, SS (No. 10)
+ Dax Fulton, LHP (No. 26)
Milwaukee Brewers
+ Logan Henderson, RHP (No. 11)
Coleman Crow, RHP (No. 30)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Chad Patrick, RHP
Minnesota Twins
+ Marco Raya, RHP (No. 5)
Ricardo Olivar, C (No. 15)
Kala’i Rosario, RF (No. 19)
Rubel Cespedes, INF (No. 22)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Travis Adams, RHP
New York Mets
Dom Hamel, RHP (No. 15)
Mike Vasil, RHP (No. 18)
New York Yankees
Zach Messinger, RHP (No. 17)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Caleb Durbin, INF
Jesús Rodríguez, C
Pittsburgh Pirates
Omar Alfonzo, C (No. 26)
Seattle Mariners
Taylor Dollard, RHP (No. 21)
Jimmy Joyce, RHP (No. 23)
Carlos Jimenez, OF (No. 28)
San Francisco Giants
Aeverson Arteaga, SS (No. 11)
+ Carson Seymour, RHP (No. 23)
Onil Perez, C (No. 28)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Carson Ragsdale, RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
+ Tink Hence, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 61)
+ Tekoah Roby, RHP (No. 6)
Ian Bedell, RHP (No. 19)
Darlin Saladin, RHP (No. 21)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Matt Koperniak, OF
Matt Svanson, RHP
Tampa Bay Rays
+ Ian Seymour, LHP (No. 17)
+ Joe Rock, LHP (No. 22)
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Jake Mangum, OF
Non-Top 30 prospects added:
Max Acosta, INF
Washington Nationals
+ Robert Hassell III, OF (No. 13)
+ Andry Lara, RHP (No. 17)
Kevin Made, SS (No. 25)