Which 2025 Arizona Fall League Players Are Facing Rule 5 Draft Decisions?

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Chase DeLauter (Photo by Bill Mitchell)

While there are a number of Top 100 Prospects and other high-profile names on Arizona Fall League rosters this year, for many of the players headed to the desert next month, they will be playing to show they are worth adding to their team’s 40-man roster.

In total, there are 65 players whose teams are facing 40-man roster decisions for them this November. If these players aren’t added to the 40-man, they will be left eligible for the MLB Rule 5 draft in December.

(Editor’s Note: Zach Cole has been removed from the list of players after being called up to the Astros).

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A few of the players who are potentially Rule 5-eligible will be easy decisions. Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter’s addition to the 40-man roster, for example, is a formality. But he’s also the exception. The vast majority of players headed to the AFL are either unlikely to be added or are on the bubble, meaning they could play their way onto the 40-man rosters with strong desert showings this October and November.

Speaking of the Guardians, in case you are wondering, Cleveland doesn’t face such a decision with righthander Daniel Espino, who is looking to return to form with a successful AFL. Espino is already on the team’s 40-man roster.

Below, you’ll find Baseball America’s rundown of players on each AFL roster who are potentially Rule 5-eligible as best can be determined using MLB’s Rule 5 roster eligibility rules. Players are eligible after four seasons if they signed as a 19-year-old or older and five seasons if they signed at 18 or younger. Anyone already on the 40-man roster is not included.

Glendale Desert Dogs

PlayerOrgPoSEdward DuranTORCMiguel UguetoSTLOFD.J. CarpenterSTLRHPAngel BastardoTORRHPDarlin SaladinSTLRHPRandel ClementeSTLRHPYondrei RojasTORRHPAlex AmalfiTORRHPConnor McCulloughCWSRHPJosh KasevichTORSS

Mesa Solar Sox

PlayerOrgPosManuel PalenciaNYYCKoen MorenoCHCRHPMason AuerTBRHPJP WheatCHCRHPMathew PetersCHCRHPMark AdamiakATHRHPBlaze PontesATHRHPAdam StoneNYYRHPHueston MorrillNYYSS

Peoria Javelinas

PlayerORGPosHendry MendezMINLFBraedon KarpathiosSDOFIsaiah LoweSDRHPJohnathan HarmonCINRHPStefan RaethSEARHPMarcelo PerezSEARHPTyler ClevelandSEARHPMiguelangel BoadasMINRHPLeonardo BalcazarCINSS

Salt River Rafters

PlayerorgPosKenny CastilloARICDominic PerachiPITLHPWelinton HerreraCOLLHPEsmerlyn ValdezPITOFJacob SteinmetzARIRHPAustin SmithCOLRHPBrandon DufaultLAARHPDerek DiamondPITRHPJoshua LoeschornPITRHPJonathan BrandBOSRHP

Scottsdale Scorpions

PlayerorgPosD’Andre SmithNYM2BJake MillerDETLHPJake BennettWASLHPJuan SanchezSFGLHPPablo AldonisWASLHPRicardo EstradaSFGLHPRyan MurphySFGRHPSpencer MilesSFGRHPBrett GillisHOURHPJose T PerezSFGRHPNick MorabitoNYMOF

Surprise Saguaros

PlayerorgPosJesus BrocaMILLHPChase DeLauterCLEOFWuilfredo AntunezCLEOFTrenton DenholmCLERHPDaniel HarperPHIRHPEiberson CastellanoPHIRHPEdwin JimenezMILRHPJaydenn EstanistaPHIRHPTommy McCollumPHIRHPKolton CurtisTEXRHPJack DallasPHIRHPJuan BenjaminCLESSDaniel VazquezKCSS