Tuesday was the deadline for teams to add Rule 5 draft-eligible prospects to the 40-man roster to protect them from being selected in that process, which will take place during the Winter Meetings in Dallas next month. All but four teams added at least one prospect to their rosters. Below is a look at the most notable players protected from the on Tuesday.
AL East
Baltimore Orioles: Brandon Young, RHP
Young, 26, won the Orioles’ minor league pitcher of the year award after posting a 3.57 ERA in 111 innings (89 in Triple A) with a 132:37 K:BB. Young has good command; in 248 2/3 career innings, he has walked just 86 and has allowed only 24 home runs. He is 6-foot-6 and can touch 96 with his fastball.
The Orioles also added right-hander Kade Strowd, a reliever who struck out 71 in 51 1/3 innings in 2024 but also had a 5.44 ERA and walked 28.
Boston Red Sox: Jhostynxon Garcia, OF / Hunter Dobbins, RHP
Garcia, 21, had a huge season, hitting .286/.356/.536 with 23 home runs while moving from Low A to Double A. Dobbins, 25, was the Red Sox’s minor league pitcher of the year after posting a 3.08 ERA in 125 2/3 innings between Double A and Triple A.
For more on both players, see Jen McCaffrey’s Red Sox Rule 5 write-up.
New York Yankees: Caleb Durbin, 2B
Durbin earned the AFL’s version of the league MVP award after an outstanding season that saw him break the league stolen base record with 29 and hit five home runs. The 24-year-old had his best season as a pro in 2024 and he has a career .374 OBP, though he has struggled with injuries throughout his pro career.
Durbin starred in the Arizona Fall League. (Norm Hall / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Yankees also added catcher Jesús Rodriguez, who hit .332 with a .412 OBP in 56 High-A games this season before hitting .226 with a .278 OBP in 23 games in Double A to finish the season. Rodriguez, 22, is a career .311 hitter.
Tampa Bay Rays: Jake Mangum, OF
Mangum, who turns 29 in March, is on the older side but he’s an excellent bat-to-ball hitter with a career .296 BA. He’s hit better than .300 each of the last two seasons in Triple A and is a candidate to replace the traded Jose Siri in the Rays’ outfield mix.
The Rays also added a pair of left-handers: Joe Rock and Ian Seymour. Both are finesse southpaws who mix their pitches well.
Toronto Blue Jays: None added
AL Central
Chicago White Sox: Colson Montgomery, SS
Montgomery may have struggled during the regular season, but the 22-year-old was a no-brainer to be added to the 40-man roster. He has to reduce his strikeouts, but he has power, can work a walk and is able to handle both shortstop and third base. He had a solid Arizona Fall League showing and is a decent candidate to make the jump to the big leagues by midseason.
Montgomery is one step closer to Chicago. (Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today)
The White Sox also added right-hander Juan Carela, who struck out 114 in 106 2/3 innings this past season.
Cleveland Guardians: Doug Nikhazy, LHP / Franco Aleman, RHP
Nikhazy, 25, dominated in 25 outings between Double A and Triple A, posting a combined 2.98 ERA with a 124:53 K:BB in 123 2/3 innings. He cut his walk rate by nearly half while continuing to strike out batters at a high rate. He doesn’t throw hard but mixes his pitches well.
Aleman, 24, threw only 22 2/3 innings thanks to a lat strain, but he had a 1.99 ERA and a 34:10 K:BB in Triple A. He’s a reliever only but mixes a good slider with a high-90s fastball.
The Guardians also added right-hander Nic Enright, who had a surreal 2023 that included being a Marlins Rule 5 pick, discovering just before spring training he had Hodgkin’s lymphoma, beating the disease and eventually being returned to the Guardians. After a solid but injury-shortened 2024 season, Enright lands on the Cleveland 40-man roster.
Outfielder Petey Halpin was also added to the roster. The 2020 third-round pick is a defensive and base running specialist who profiles as a fourth or fifth outfielder.
Detroit Tigers: Tyler Owens, RHP
Owens, 23, was acquired from the Rangers at the deadline for catcher Carson Kelly. He had a strong season as a reliever, posting a 2.96 ERA with a 55:16 K:BB in 51 2/3 innings. Owens is a classic fastball/slider reliever who has seen his command improve in a relief role after doing some starting earlier in his career.
The Tigers also protected right-hander Tyler Mattison, who is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery, and right-hander Chase Lee, a sidearmer who — not surprisingly — handles right-handed hitters well.
Kansas City Royals: Luinder Avila, RHP
Avila, 23, pitched his way into roster consideration by posting a 3.81 ERA in 82 2/3 Double-A innings before making one start in Triple A to end the year. He then put together a solid stint in the AFL that included a trip to the Fall Stars game. Avila has some command issues but throws hard and could move into a bullpen role if the command doesn’t improve.
The Royals also protected right-hander Eric Crentola and left-hander Noah Cameron.
Minnesota Twins: Marco Raya, RHP
Raya, 22, has dealt with injuries during his pro career, but he offers plenty of upside in his 6-1 frame. His fastball sits mid-90s and he has a plus slider. That combo helped him post a 103:44 K:BB in 97 2/3 innings this past season, including his Triple-A debut, when he fired five shutout innings. He can struggle with command at times and had a 4.27 ERA in 92 2/3 Double-A innings.
The Twins also added Travis Adams, 24, who posted a 3.90 ERA in 127 innings with a 118:35 K:BB. He reached Triple A for the first time in his career during the final month of the season.
AL West
Athletics: Denzel Clarke, OF / Gunnar Hoglund, RHP
Clarke, a 2021 fourth-round pick, is not a finished product, but he’d be a good candidate for Rule 5 selection based solely on his outfield defense and plus speed. The 24-year-old has power potential and a decent idea of the strike zone, but struggled early last season after making some adjustments during spring training, which dragged down his overall statline (.269/.339/.446 in his second season in Double A). He had an excellent AFL season but gave up some of his power for contact. His defense and base running give him a solid floor as a fourth outfielder, but the tools are still there for him to be an everyday player if he can find a consistent approach at the plate that works for him.
Clarke is a plus runner and defender. (Norm Hall / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Hoglund, who turns 25 next month, was the main prospect in the deal that sent Matt Chapman to Toronto. He struggled badly his first two seasons coming off of 2021 Tommy John surgery, but the No. 19 pick in the 2021 draft had a 3.44 ERA in 130 2/3 innings between Double A and Triple A last year. He doesn’t have plus swing-and-miss stuff, but he’s a strike thrower with two above-average off-speed pitches.
The A’s also added Ryan Cusick, another 2021 first-round pick acquired in a trade (Matt Olson deal with Atlanta). In contrast to Hoglund, Cusick has excellent stuff but the 25-year-old has really struggled to throw strikes. He moved to the bullpen last year and is likely to continue to be developed as a reliever.
Houston Astros: Colton Gordon, LHP
The Astros added Gordon, 25, after a big season in Triple A, when he posted a 3.94 ERA in 123 1/3 innings with 124 strikeouts in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He has a starter’s pitch mix and has exceeded 120 innings each of the past two seasons. He seems poised to make his major-league debut next season.
Los Angeles Angels: Matthew Lugo, IF
Lugo, 23, was one of several prospects the Angels acquired at the deadline. He came over from the Red Sox in the Luis Garcia deal. A second-round pick in 2019 out of Puerto Rico, Lugo had his best season as a pro in 2024, hitting .287/.376/.578 in 79 games before a hand injury in his first game with the Angels shut him down for the season. He has power and speed but is still working on his swing decisions.
The Angels also added left-hander Jack Dashwood, who has only thrown 100 1/3 innings over the last three seasons because of injuries. He pitched 10 innings in the AFL. When healthy, he has a three-pitch mix that could play as a starter.
Texas Rangers: Emiliano Teodo, RHP / Max Acosta, IF / Winston Santos, RHP
Teodo, 23, is one of the Rangers’ top pitching prospects. The native of the Dominican Republic dominated the Texas League, posting a 1.98 ERA with 110 strikeouts in 86 1/3 innings. He has command issues (50 walks) but he has plus arm strength and a good breaking ball and changeup.
Acosta, 22, was a highly regarded signing out of Venezuela who broke through in Double A this year with a strong season for Frisco, posting a .778 OPS with 26 stolen bases and only 58 strikeouts in 104 games. He’s a solid defender up the middle with a high baseball IQ.
Santos, 22, is another Rangers’ top pitching prospect who represented the team in the Futures Game this summer. He split his season between High A and Double A, posting a 3.67 ERA in 110 1/3 innings with 138 strikeouts. Like Teodo, he has plenty of arm strength.
Seattle Mariners: None added
NL East
Atlanta Braves: Rolddy Munoz, RHP
Munoz, 24, is a prototypical relief prospect with a big fastball and a plus slider that comes with a side of command issues. He had a 75:22 K:BB in 51 innings, spending most of the season in Double A.
Miami Marlins: Deyvison De Los Santos, IF
De Los Santos, 21, was left unprotected in last year’s Rule 5 draft by the Diamondbacks and was selected by Cleveland, who returned him to Arizona at the end of spring training. He had a monster 2024, hitting 28 homers in 87 games for the D-backs’ Double-A and Triple-A squads before being traded in the A.J. Puk deal to Miami. He hit another 12 homers in 50 games for Triple-A Jacksonville after the deal. De Los Santos has two seasons with more than 100 RBIs and has hit at least 20 homers each of the last three seasons, but he’s also struggled to keep his strikeouts in check and he doesn’t walk a lot. Still, with that kind of power, he’s worth a look for a rebuilding team like Miami.
De Los Santos hit 40 homers this year. (Rob Tringali / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Marlins also added infielder Jared Serna, who was acquired from the Yankees in the Jazz Chisholm deal, and left-hander Dax Fulton, who is recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. He was the No. 40 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft.
New York Mets: None added
Philadelphia Phillies: Mick Abel, RHP
Abel’s prospect status took a hit this past season when he struggled to the tune of a 6.46 ERA in 108 2/3 innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 23-year-old still has premium stuff even as he’s struggled to find consistent mechanics. His fastball can touch 99 and it isn’t a stretch to see him contributing as a reliever if he can’t stick as a starter.
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The Phillies also added right-handers Moisés Chace and Jean Cabrera. Chace came to the Phillies from Baltimore in the Gregory Soto deal. He had a 3.59 ERA in 80 1/3 innings this past season, topping out in Double A. Cabrera reached Double A, as well, and had a 3.80 ERA in 106 2/3 total innings in 2024.
Washington Nationals: Robert Hassell III, OF
Hassell, 23, was famously part of the Nationals’ return from San Diego in the Juan Soto deal. The No. 8 pick in the 2020 draft hasn’t fully found his footing with the Nationals but there were glimmers of progress this past season, including a solid stint in the AFL. Hassell has good speed and has flashed power but hasn’t stayed healthy enough or made enough consistent contact to maximize his talents yet.
The Nationals also added right-hander Andry Lara, who struck out 132 in 134 2/3 innings, finishing the year in Double A.
NL Central
Chicago Cubs: Owen Caissie, OF / Ben Cowles, IF
Caissie, 22, is one of the Cubs’ top prospects and he appears to be on track to join the major-league roster at some point in 2025. He’s climbed a level a season each of the last three years, spending all of 2024 in Triple A, where he hit .278/.375/.472 with 19 homers. Caissie has a lot of swing and miss in his game, but he also walks a lot and has hit for average for most of his pro career. He’s strictly a corner outfielder so he’ll need to hit a lot to be a regular in the big leagues.
GO DEEPER
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Cowles, 24, was part of the Cubs’ return from New York for Mark Leiter, Jr. Cowles only played four games after the trade thanks to a hand injury. Before the deal, he hit .294/.376/.472 with nine homers and 14 stolen bases in 88 games for Double-A Somerset. He struggled in the AFL, hitting just .213.
Cincinnati Reds: Luis Mey, RHP
Mey, 23, was one of the breakout pitching stars of the Arizona Fall League, as he threw 8 2/3 scoreless innings and broke the triple digit barrier with his fastball on several occasions. He’s a reliever only but has the potential to be a late-innings asset for the Reds if he can carry over the improved command he showed in the desert into the regular season.
Mey emerged as a potential backend reliever for the Reds this season. (Norm Hall / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Reds also added second baseman Tyler Callihan, who had a .788 OPS and stole 22 bases in 73 games, mostly in Double A, last season.
Milwaukee Brewers: Logan Henderson, RHP
Henderson, 22, got a late start to the season thanks to an oblique strain suffered during spring training. He made use of his time on the mound once he was healthy, moving up four levels and finishing in Triple A. Overall, he had a 3.32 ERA in 81 1/3 innings with a 104:15 K:BB. Henderson has outstanding command of his fastball and changeup. An elbow injury limited him in 2022 and he’s never thrown more than 81 innings, but he’s also never had an ERA above 3.95 in any of his three pro seasons.
The Brewers also added right-hander Chad Patrick, 26, who came over to the team in the Abraham Toro deal with the A’s last offseason. Patrick was brilliant for Triple-A Nashville last season, posting a 2.90 ERA in 136 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 145:39 K:BB.
Pittsburgh Pirates: None added
St. Louis Cardinals: Tink Hence, RHP / Tekoah Roby, RHP
Hence, 22, is one of the top right-handed pitching prospects in baseball. He had a 2.71 ERA and a 109:26 K:BB in 79 2/3 innings for Double-A Springfield this past season but was limited by injuries. Staying healthy has been Hence’s biggest hurdle so far as a pro, as he’s never thrown more than 96 innings in a season. Still, it’s potential ace stuff if he can stay healthy.
Roby, 23, managed only 38 1/3 innings due to injury in 2024, but his potential was enough for the Cardinals to add him to the roster. He has an outstanding curveball and a solid fastball. Roby was part of the Cardinals’ return for Jordan Montgomery in 2023.
The Cardinals also added outfielder Matt Koperniak and right-hander Matt Svanson.
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks: Tim Tawa, IF
Tawa has hit for power since being selected in the 11th round in 2021 out of Stanford. In 2024, he hit 31 homers in 142 games, albeit while splitting his time in good hitting environments between Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno. Tawa, 25, can play all over the field and runs the bases well.
The D-backs also added right-hander Joe Elbis, who threw 135 1/3 innings this season at the High-A and Double-A levels. He doesn’t have a plus pitch but has four at least average offerings.
Colorado Rockies: Zac Veen, OF
Injuries have slowed Veen’s development. (Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)
Injuries have limited Veen, the No. 9 pick in the 2020 draft, to 111 games over the last two seasons. He finally reached Triple A in 2024 but hit just .220 in 21 games. Veen stole 55 bases in his last full season (2022) and he controls the strike zone well, but he doesn’t hit the ball that hard on a consistent basis, perhaps a result of the various wrist and back injuries he’s had to fight through. He’s still only 22 and has plenty of talent, and the rebuilding Rockies can afford to be patient with him.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Jack Dreyer, LHP
The Dodgers have had success with undrafted free agents and Dreyer is another example, signing out of Iowa after the 2021 draft. He’s never had an ERA above 2.30 in his three pro seasons, pitching exclusively in relief. In 2024, the 25-year-old struck out 72 in 57 1/3 innings.
San Diego Padres: Henry Baez, RHP
Baez is one of the Padres’ top right-handed pitching prospects. The 22-year-old has two above-average breaking balls to go along with a low-90s fastball. He had a 2.99 ERA in 126 1/3 innings between High A and Double A this year.
The Padres also added right-hander Ryan Bergert, a 2021 sixth-round pick who spent the year in Double A and can touch 97 with his fastball, and left-hander Omar Cruz, who was selected by the Padres out of the Pirates’ chain in the minor league portion of last year’s Rule 5 draft.
San Francisco Giants: Carson(s) Ragsdale and Seymour, RHPs
Someone in the Giants’ front office must really want their MTV. The Carsons — not related — are actually quite similar prospects, both tall righties with deep arsenals who can chew up innings in the rotation and in the middle of a bullpen, a la Sean Hjelle. Ragsdale, 26, threw 120 2/3 innings this past season after missing most of the last two years with injury (thoracic outlet syndrome and a forearm strain). He had Tommy John surgery in 2019 when he was in college. Seymour spent all season in the hitter-friendly PCL and had a 4.82 ERA with 132 strikeouts in 134 1/3 innings.
(Top photo of Caissie: Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today)
