MLB Rule 5 Draft Protection Analysis For Every Team

MLB teams face a 6 p.m. ET deadline Tuesday to submit 40-man rosters. Any eligible player left unprotected becomes available for the MLB Rule 5 Draft to be held at Winter Meetings on Dec. 10.

Any 18-year-olds who signed professional contracts during or before the 2020 season and any 19-year-olds who signed during or before the 2021 season are eligible to be taken in the Rule 5 draft if left off a 40-man roster.

Stay tuned throughout the day Tuesday as we track each organization’s deadline protection decisions below and offer team-by-team analysis on the players joining 40-man MLB rosters.

Arizona Diamondbacks

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Athletics

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Atlanta Braves

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Baltimore Orioles

Added: RHP Anthony Nuñez (added Nov. 6 to prevent minor league FA)

Analysis: The Padres drafted and signed Nuñez in the 29th round in 2019. He was a high school shortstop at the time and played in the Arizona Complex League that summer. When the Padres released Nuñez from their Low-A roster in August 2021, he qualified for amateur deregulation and attended Division II Tampa, where he starred as a third baseman. He took up pitching late in his junior season in 2024, catching the attention of the Mets, who signed him as an undrafted free agent. The Orioles acquired Nuñez in the Cedric Mullins deal at the 2025 trade deadline. Nuñezâ€s hard sweeper and cutter, paired with a fastball that touches 97-98 mph and a strong changeup, should play in the Orioles†bullpen in 2026. The 24-year-old was playing on a successor contract in 2025, so he would have qualified as a minor league free agent had Baltimore not added him to its 40-man roster.

Boston Red Sox

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Chicago Cubs

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Chicago White Sox

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Cincinnati Reds

Added: RHP Jose Franco (added Nov. 6 to prevent minor league FA)

Analysis: Franco’s stuff improved in 2025 as he got further away from the Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire 2023 season. He likely will see big league time in 2026 as a multi-inning reliever/swingman whose 95-97 mph fastball, slider, cutter and changeup give hitters a multitude of pitches to worry about.

Cleveland Guardians

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Colorado Rockies

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Detroit Tigers

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Houston Astros

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Kansas City Royals

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Los Angeles Angels

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Los Angeles Dodgers

Added: OF Ryan Ward (added Nov. 6 to prevent minor league FA)

Analysis: On his third try at Triple-A, Ward became one of the most productive hitters in the minor leagues. The 27-year-old outfielder led all of MiLB in home runs (36), RBIs (122), extra-base hits (73) and total bases (315). As might be expected from a player with such a prolific year, Ward hits the ball hard and in the air. His 90th percentile exit velocity was 104.7 mph, and his average launch angle was 13.6 degrees. That combination led to a season of barrel after barrel. Even more important, he made more contact. Ward cut his overall and zone-miss rates by 7.2% and 6.8%, respectively. He also lowered his chase rate by 8.7%, bringing it down to 26.3%. Defensively, he split his time among first base and both corner outfield spots.

Miami Marlins

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Milwaukee Brewers

Added: RHP Coleman Crow(added Nov. 6 to prevent minor league FA)

Analysis: Crow, 24, would have become a minor league free agent, but the Brewers enticed him to stay with a spot on their 40-man roster. A 6-foot righthander, Crow missed time in 2025 due to hip and elbow issues that limited him to 50 innings, but he posted strong numbers with Double-A Biloxi to the tune of a 52-8 K-BB mark and a 2.41 ERA over 43 innings. He wonâ€t overpower anyone with velocity—he sits in the low 90s and touches 94 mph—but his ability to throw strikes from a lower release height and spin two sharp breaking balls around 2,900 rpms should allow him to carve out a major league role, whether itâ€s at the back of a rotation or in a bullpen.

Minnesota Twins

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New York Mets

Added: OF Nick Morabito

Analysis: Morabito signed as an athletic high school infielder from the Washington, D.C., ranks, but he has focused on center field in pro ball, developing into an above-average one thanks to his plus speed. The 22-year-old batted .273/.348/.385 with six home runs and 49 stolen bases this season in 118 games for Double-A Binghamton. Morabito added 25 more hits and 16 more steals in a 17-game sample in the Arizona Fall League, where he produced a .914 OPS in the hitter-happy league. He has potential carrying tools in his speed and defense with a chance for a solid-average bat and an overall extra outfielder vibe. Morabito is one of the few high school players drafted in 2022 who faced a 40-man roster evaluation season in 2025. Thatâ€s because he was classified as a 19-year-old signee. Most of Morabitoâ€s prep peers in the 2022 draft will be afforded another season of evaluation in 2026.Â

New York Yankees

Added: RHPKervin Castro (added Nov. 6 to prevent minor league FA)

Analysis: Castro is well-traveled, to say the least. Originally signed by the Giants in 2015, he has spent time in their organization, as well as with the Cubs and Tigers. The Yankees selected Castro from the Tigers in the minor league phase of the 2023 Rule 5 draft and waited while he spent 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery. The procedure was his second, as he also missed most of the 2017 and 2018 seasons while recovering from his first TJ operation. He made his big league debut in 2021 and saw MLB time with the Giants and Cubs in 2021 and 2022, respectively. In 2025, Castro struck out 52 hitters and walked 22 in 47 innings with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He utilizes a five-pitch mix led by a four-seamer that averaged roughly 92 mph and peaked at 96. The pitch played better—and got a miss rate of 39.5%—than its velocity thanks to 17 inches of induced vertical break. He actually threw his cutter slightly more often than his four-seamer. The pitch came in a couple of ticks slower than his four-seamer but was thrown with near-equal release height and extension. Castro backed his fastballs with a mid-80s sweeper, high-80s changeup and high-70s curveball, though none of those three pitches was thrown more than 74 times.

Philadelphia Phillies

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Pittsburgh Pirates

Added: RHP Ryan Harbin (added Nov. 6 to prevent minor league FA)

Analysis: Harbin, 24, was set to become a minor league free agent. Instead, the Pirates added him to their 40-man roster after he struck out just under 32% of hitters (offset by a 16% walk rate) and reached Triple-A Indianapolis in 2025. Harbinâ€s a pure reliever who has always struck out plenty of batters, but he often battled imprecise strike-throwing. He has been up to 101 mph and has the best slider in the Pirates†system, so he figures to factor into their bullpen mix at 2026 if they can help him throw enough strikes.

San Diego Padres

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San Francisco Giants

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Seattle Mariners

Added: LHP Robinson Ortiz(added by LAD Nov. 6 to prevent minor league FA & traded to SEA for Tyler Gough Nov. 16)

Analysis: Ortiz had been in the Dodgers organization since 2017 and barely reached Triple-A the past season at 25 years old. At Triple-A, he made 15 appearances (one start) and finished 1–0 with a 2.76 ERA, giving up five earned runs in 16.1 innings with nine walks and 14 strikeouts. Ortiz is a good lefthanded relief option for the Mariners, especially with Caleb Ferguson electing free agency. Ortiz has a four-pitch mix, which includes a fastball at 94-95 mph, a slider, cutter and changeup.

St. Louis Cardinals

Added: OF Bryan Torres (added Nov. 6 to prevent minor league FA)

Analysis: The 28-year-old Torres is a prime example of perseverance paying off. Previously with the Brewers and Giants, Torres was once a minor league Rule 5 pick in 2019 and went unsigned as a minor league free agent following the 2021 season. After two seasons in the independent American Association, Torres signed with the Cardinals in September 2023. He followed up a strong 2024 by hitting .328/.441/.464 with Triple-A Memphis. Torres has some defensive versatility, seeing a solid amount of action at second base and both corner outfield spots, where heâ€s a 40-45 grade defender at each position. Torres is a better runner than his home-to-first times show, as his unusual open stance slows him down a bit getting out of the box. An excellent bunter, itâ€s not unusual to see Torres get to first in under four seconds on those plays. Heâ€s also an excellent base stealer, getting good jumps consistently. Torres is a very useful situational player who might surprise some people in 2026.

Tampa Bay Rays

Added: RHP Forrest Whitley (added Nov. 6 to prevent minor league FA)

Analysis: The one-time top Astros prospect found success in Triple-A with the Rays this season. His sinker and four-seam fastballs are hittable if he uses them too much, but the Rays have him relying more on a cutter, and heâ€s improved his changeup. The changes helped improve his control, which makes him a potentially useful up-and-down starter.

Texas Rangers

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Toronto Blue Jays

Added: C Brandon Valenzuela (added Nov. 6 to prevent minor league FA)

Analysis: Valenzuela signed with the Padres as a 16-year-old in 2017 and was with the organization until this past July when he was traded for Will Wagner. After a decline in production following a strong affiliated debut in 2021, Valenzuela enjoyed somewhat of a bounce-back campaign in 2025 to the tune of a .224/.309/.383 slash line with 20 doubles and a career-high 15 home runs between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A Buffalo. Behind the dish, Valenzuela is an advanced defender with a strong arm, and this season he nabbed a career-high 34% of all base stealers.

Washington Nationals

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