Toronto – For all 30 Major League teams, some of the biggest decisions of the offseason must be made by the Nov. 19 deadline for setting their 40-man rosters. Any player not added to their organization’s roster by then will become eligible to be selected by another organization in the Rule 5 Draft, which is set for Wednesday, Dec. 11, in Dallas.
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 must be protected. A college player — or 19-year-old high school player — taken in the 2021 Draft is in the same position.
As it stands, there are four players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list who need to be protected or become exposed to the Rule 5 Draft:
It will be surprising if any of those prospects did not end up on 40-man rosters by the deadline.
Source: https://www.mlb.com/bluejays/news/r