The deadline for adding players to 40-man rosters is approaching. Teams have until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, which will take place Dec. 10 at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla.
Six Top 100 prospects would be eligible for Rule 5 selection. But it’s a no-brainer for their clubs to protect Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter (No. 16), Guardians shortstop Angel Genao (No. 59), Marlins catcher Joe Mack (No. 70), Cardinals catcher Leonard Bernal (No. 92) and Yankees righty Elmer RodrÃguez (No. 97) and outfielder Spencer Jones (No. 99).
Other roster decisions will be more difficult, though. Below we identify one player on the 40-man bubble from every organization.
Blue Jays: Victor Arias, OF (No. 9)
Itâ€s taken Arias a little while to get going, spending two summers in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League and not gaining much traction until 2024, when he posted an OPS of .833 across two levels of A ball. He got off to a hot start back with High-A Vancouver to start 2025, but managed just a .624 OPS in 33 Double-A games. Thereâ€s upside here, but he might be too far away to have to worry about protecting him at this time.
Orioles: Creed Willems, C/1B (unranked)
Willems has spent time on the Top 30 in the past, getting knocked off following the 2025 Draft and all the deals the Oâ€s made at the Trade Deadline. Heâ€s a left-handed bat who makes a ton of contact and thereâ€s some thump in there (16 homers in 2025), and he even threw out 28 percent of potential basestealers behind the dish. But itâ€s unclear whether he can stick at the position and thereâ€s a logjam at catcher/first base in Baltimore.
Rays: Jadher Areinamo, INF (No. 24)
Acquired by the Rays from the Brewers in the deadline deal for Danny Jansen, Areinamo has always made a ton of contact (12.2 percent career strikeout rate), but with that has come a tendency to expand the zone (34 percent chase rate in 2025, according to Synergy). He can play three infield positions, with second perhaps his best, so teams could be interested in him as a utility type come Rule 5 time. The fact heâ€s going off in the Venezuelan Winter League (.313/.363/.639 in 21 games) could force the Rays†hands.
Red Sox: Miguel Bleis, OF (No. 15)
Bleis is a center fielder with some of the best all-around tools in the system (plus raw power, speed and arm strength) but little consistent production in full-season ball. Signed for the largest bonus ($1.5 million) in Boston’s 2020-21 international class, the Dominican native slashed .222/.300/.385 with 14 homers and 27 steals in 107 games between High-A and Double-A.
Yankees: Harrison Cohen, RHP (No. 30)
On one hand, Cohen is a 26-year-old former nondrafted free agent out of George Washington with an ordinary low-90s fastball. On the other, his mid-80s slider and slightly harder cutter have been unhittable, and he logged a 1.76 ERA, .151 average-against and 59 strikeouts in 51 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.
Guardians: Wuilfredo Antunez, OF (unranked)
Signed for just $10,000 out of Venezuela in 2019, Antunez has solid raw power, speed and arm strength. He slashed .275/.335/.521 with 18 homers and 16 steals in 101 games between High-A and Double-A, and he homered twice in two Arizona Fall League games before getting shut down with tendinitis in his right shoulder.
Royals: Gavin Cross, OF (No. 24)
This isnâ€t what the Royals had in mind when they took Cross with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 Draft. He spent his second straight year at Double-A and has a career .747 OPS to go along with a strikeout rate around 26 percent. It remains to be seen whether his hot July and August this past year (.301/.370/.528) provided enough hope to earn him a roster spot.
Tigers: Jake Miller, LHP (No. 19)
Miller had a huge breakout season in 2024, pitching his way from Single-A Lakeland to Double-A Erie while missing a ton of bats, then posting a 24/3 K/BB ratio in the Arizona Fall League, though he did get hit. He was given a chance to start in 2025 and began well, but a back injury limited him to 20 total innings and a planned return engagement in the AFL was scrapped, making it tougher to make a roster call.
Twins: Jose Olivares, RHP (No. 24)
Thereâ€s a lot to like stuff-wise with Olivares, including a fastball that sat at 95 mph in 2025 and an assortment of secondary offerings that miss bats (10.7 K/9 rate last year) and make him tough to hit (.202 BAA). But he also walked 5.7 per nine and has yet to pitch above High-A ball. A model-driven team might be interested because the stuff plays, but the lack of command makes him tougher to protect.
White Sox: Shane Murphy, LHP (unranked)
The younger brother of former big league pitcher Patrick Murphy, Shane led the Minors in WHIP (0.89) and ERA (1.66) while compiling a .199 average-against and a 104/25 K/BB ratio in 135 1/3 innings while advancing from High-A to Triple-A. The 14th-rounder in 2022 out of Chandler-Gilbert (Ariz.) CC stands out more with his performance than his stuff, working with a fastball that sits just below 90 mph (albeit with good carry) and a mid-80s changeup as his primary secondary pitch.
Angels: Walbert Urena, RHP (No. 24)
On the one hand, Urena logged 141 innings and touched Triple-A, relying heavily on a fastball that touched 102 mph in 2025. On the other, he struck out just eight per nine and walked 4.7 without a true secondary out pitch (His changeup is his best). A team could roll the dice and try him in a bullpen.
Astros: Michael Knorr, RHP (unranked)
A 2022 third-round pick from Coastal Carolina, Knorr had trouble holding up as a starter in his first two full pro seasons but stayed healthy as a reliever this year. He logged a 5.03 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, displaying a mid-90s fastball that reached 98 mph and a sharp mid-70s curveball.
Aâ€s: Junior Perez, OF (unranked)
Perez has teased, especially with power potential, ever since the Aâ€s got him from the Padres in the 2020 Jorge Mateo deal. In 2025, he got to it, hammering 26 homers while stealing 27 bases and playing a lot more center field than people anticipated in the past. A lot of those numbers came when he moved up to hitting-friendly Las Vegas in the Pacific Coast League and he still struck out 28.1 percent of the time.
Mariners: Michael Morales, RHP (No. 18)
The Mariners invested $1.5 million in Morales as their third-round pick in 2021 and there could be incentive to protect that investment. While results have been mixed, heâ€s topped 100 innings in each of his four full seasons and he does throw strikes with as many as five pitches. But the velocity and stuff havenâ€t come as hoped, with Double-A opponents hitting .311 off his 91-92 mph heater.
Rangers: Brock Porter, RHP (unranked)
Ranked the top high school pitcher in the 2022 Draft, Porter signed for a fourth-round-record $3.7 million, but his control completely fell apart in 2024. He made strides this season but still walked 40 in 68 1/3 innings between two Class A stops while posting a 3.03 ERA, a .183 average-against and 79 strikeouts. His fastball parks at 92-95 mph and his lively low-80s changeup is his best weapon.
Braves: Ian Mejia, RHP (No. 19)
The Braves nabbed Mejia as an 11th-round pick out of New Mexico State in 2022 and heâ€s coming off a very good year, spent almost entirely with Double-A Mississippi, in which he finished third in the Southern League in ERA (2.62) and WHIP (1.06). Heâ€s also topped 120 innings in each of his three seasons, but he doesnâ€t miss a ton of bats and throws his slider more than his fringy fastball, giving him a lower ceiling.
Marlins: Andrew Pintar, OF (unranked)
Part of the A.J. Puk deal with the Diamondbacks at the 2024 Trade Deadline, Pintar is a quality center-field defender with plus speed but not a huge offensive ceiling. He batted .269/.338/.384 with four homers and 23 steals in 84 games at Triple-A.
Mets: Nick Morabito, OF (No. 16)
Morabito is a rare 2022 high school draftee who is Rule 5-eligible because he was 19 at the time of the Draft. He can really run with 108 steals over his past two seasons and is a very good outfielder, but the impact is in question (.389 career SLG). A strong Fall League campaign (.362 average, 16 steals) might help his case.
Nationals: Tyler Stuart, RHP (No. 28)
Stuart led the Minors with a 2.20 ERA in 2023 and went from the Mets to the Nationals in exchange for Jesse Winker at the 2024 Trade Deadline. He battled elbow issues for much of 2025 before having Tommy John surgery in August, which figures to sideline him for all of next season. When healthy, he leans heavily on an 82-85 mph slider that he sets up with a 92-95 mph sinker.
Phillies: Alex McFarlane, RHP (No. 20)
Teams interested in McFarlane in the Rule 5 Draft will certainly look at his premium fastball that touches triple digits and his ability to miss bats with that and his slider (10.6 K/9 rate in his career). But he also has walked 5.5 per nine and posted a 4.84 ERA while reaching Double-A in 2025. The bullpen is almost certainly in his future whether or not he remains a Phillie.
Brewers: Blake Holub, RHP (unranked)
Acquired from the Tigers in November 2023 in a straight-up swap for Mark Canha, the 6-foot-6 right-hander first reached Triple-A Nashville in 2024 and posted a 3.70 ERA with 53 strikeouts and 31 walks in 41â…“ innings. Heâ€s a two-pitch reliever with a 93-95 mph cutter and a 84-86 mph slider, each of which had whiff rates of 29-30 percent in ‘25. Holub comes with nearly 7 feet of extension and generates a ton of ground balls (50.5 percent last season), which could interest some Rule 5 clubs, but would need to throw more strikes to fit immediately into an MLB bullpen. (Milwaukee already added its only Rule 5-eligible ranked prospect to the 40-man in righty Coleman Crow.)
Cardinals: Pete Hansen, LHP (unranked)
Hansen can’t push his fastball past 92 mph, but he effectively mixes three secondary pitches (low-80s changeup and slider, mid-70s curveball) and throws strikes. The 2022 third-rounder from Texas compiled a 3.93 ERA and a 123/37 K/BB ratio in 137 1/3 innings at Double-A.
Cubs: Connor Noland, RHP (No. 22)
Noland’s two- and four-seam fastballs don’t top 92 mph, so he employs a kitchen-sink approach and mixes six pitches, with only his low-80s slider grading as better than average. A former quarterback at Arkansas who went in 2022’s ninth round, he logged a 4.07 ERA with 115 strikeouts in 132 2/3 Triple-A innings.
Pirates: Jack Brannigan 3B/SS (No. 21)
This one leans more heavily toward the “not protect†column as Brannigan suffered a torn labrum that required surgery in his throwing shoulder limiting him to 59 largely unproductive games at Double-A. But there is some power and speed in there (37 homers and 38 steals combined in 2023-24) and itâ€s possible some teams would have interest because he offers excellent defense at third and short, and could slide over to second if needed.
Reds: Leo Balcazar, SS/2B (No. 23)
Signed in January 2021 for just $100,000, Balcazar has continued to show improvement as heâ€s moved up the ladder. Teams looking for utility help might like how steady he is at both middle infield positions, and he showed he can handle third during his Fall League stint. Heâ€s improved slowly offensively with 12 homers overall and reached Double-A for the first time, but there isnâ€t a ton of impact or ceiling here. Heâ€s a solid player with no carrying tool.
Diamondbacks: Dylan Ray, RHP (unranked)
Ray got the job done at Double-A (3.93 ERA, 53/17 K/BB ratio in 50 1/3 innings) but got rocked in Triple-A (6.30 ERA, 70/38 K/BB ratio in 90 frames). A 2022 fourth-round pick out of Alabama, he operates with a 92-94 mph fastball and his mid-80s slider and changeup are his most effective offerings.
Dodgers: Noah Miller, SS (No. 25)
The younger brother of Owen Miller and a 2021 supplemental first-round pick by the Twins, Miller joined the Dodgers in a February 2024 deal for Manuel Margot and infield prospect Rayne Doncon. He has emerged as one of the best defensive shortstops in the Minors but doesn’t make much impact at the plate, slashing .260/.303/.362 in 94 games, mostly at Triple-A.
Giants: Gerelmi Maldonado, RHP (No. 23)
Signed for $145,600 out of Venezuela in 2021, Maldonado can reach 101 mph with late life on his fastball and can overpower hitters with a sweeping 82-85 mph slider as well. Tommy John surgery in December 2023 cost him all of the following season and means he hasn’t progressed past Single-A, where he recorded a 3.97 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 59 innings this year.
Padres: Garrett Hawkins, RHP (No. 19)
A 2021 ninth-rounder out of British Columbia, Hawkins uses a deceptive high arm slot to unleash 92-95 mph fastballs and 79-81 sweepers. He also creates quality extension, which enabled him to rank third among Minor League pitchers with at least 60 innings in ERA (1.50) and average-against (.138) while whiffing 80 in 60 frames between High-A and Double-A.
Rockies: Sterlin Thompson, OF (No. 15)
Normally a guy who posts a .911 in his first year at Triple-A would be a slam dunk to get a roster spot, and that very well could transpire. Thompsonâ€s numbers were better in the Albuquerque launching pad (.946 OPS), but he was productive on the road as well (.848). The outfield scene could be really crowded, though, and we donâ€t know yet what direction new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta will want to head in.
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