2020 Rule 5 Draft Primer and Eligible Players
Post Draft Update ...
[Update: Five players had their contracts selected by the Astros in advance of the Rule 5 Draft which will be held on Thursday, December 10th. See the list below for updated availability.]To recap the Astros’ 2020 Rule 5 Draft:
— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) December 10, 2020
-lost bullpen prospect Jose Alberto Rivera to the Angels
-lost outfielder Drew Ferguson the Mets and catcher Chuckie Robinson to the Reds in the MiLB phase
-added relievers Joe Record (Twins) & Seth Martinez (A’s) in the MiLB phase
Forrest Whitley - May 2019
Freudis Nova - July 2019
Photo by Jayne Hansen
RULE 5
The Rule 5 draft (no, it's not the Rule V draft; please stop calling it that!) was updated somewhat prior to 2016's draft in two ways: it eliminated the lower of two minor league phases of the draft and it increased the compensation payment to teams for players who are lost through the draft. Here is the text of Rule 5 with the Eligibility Rules highlighted in Blue.
Rule 5
ANNUAL SELECTION OF PLAYERS
(a) MEETINGS. A selection meeting shall be held each year at such time and place as the Commissioner shall designate and shall be known as the Rule 5 Selection Meeting. At the Rule 5 Selection Meeting, Major League Clubs may claim the contracts of players who are on Minor League Reserve Lists (filed pursuant to Rule 2) and who are subject to selection as set forth in this Rule 5. If any Major League or Minor League Club shall fail to file Minor League Reserve Lists in accordance with Major League Rule 2, its players on Minor League Reserve Lists shall be subject to selection under this Rule 5 without any restrictions. The Commissioner shall decide all procedural questions that may arise during the Rule 5 Selection Meeting.
(b) METHOD AND PRIORITY OF SELECTIONS. Selections under this Rule 5 shall be made in two separate phases: the Major League phase and the Class AAA phase. A player selected in one of these phases must be placed on the Major League Club’s Reserve List in the same classification of the phase in which the player was selected. Within each phase, only players from a Reserve List of a lower classification Club are eligible for selection. Within each phase, selections shall be made according to the following order and conditions:
(1) Major League Clubs shall select in reverse order of their winning percentages at the close of the preceding championship season, without regard to standings within any Division or League and without regard to post-season results. If two or more Clubs had an identical percentage of games won at the close of the preceding championship season, the selection order of those Clubs shall be determined by the percentage of games won in the next prior championship season, with any remaining ties resolved by continuing to examine the tied Clubs’ respective championship season winning percentages in each preceding prior year, until the tie is broken.
(2) As called in the above order of priority in a phase, each Major League Club shall have a right to select one player subject to selection under this Rule 5. If a Club does not exercise its right of selection when called, or if its right of selection in that phase has ceased because its Reserve List(s) for the classification covered by the phase has reached the allowable limit under Rule 2, the next Club in order shall be called. When a round has been completed, the process of selection shall be repeated until all Major League Clubs have no further right of selection in that phase. A Club
having announced its selection in proper order cannot later cancel the selection.
(3) In any year in which one or more new members have been admitted to a Major League for operations in the next championship season, each such new member may select player contracts under this Rule 5. The procedures and regulations governing such selections shall be as agreed upon by the Major League Clubs.
(4) Any Major League Club may authorize (in writing or by electronic communication) any employee, the Commissioner, or an employee of the Commissioner’s Office to announce its selection or selections at the meeting. Such authorized selections shall be as binding and effective as if announced by a Major League Club official.
(c) PLAYERS SUBJECT TO SELECTION. All players on the Minor League Reserve Lists of Major League and Minor League Clubs, except players on the Voluntarily Retired, Disqualified or Ineligible Lists, shall be subject to selection by other Major League Clubs at the Rule 5 Selection Meeting in accordance with the following:
(1) A player without previous Major or Minor League service who signs with a Major League or independent Minor League Club shall be subject to selection based on the following:
(A) if 18 years of age or under on the June 5 immediately preceding the player’s signing, the player shall be subject to selection at the fifth Rule 5 Selection Meeting that follows the signing date of the player’s first Major or Minor League contract, unless Rule 5(c)(1)(C) applies;
(B) if 19 years of age or over on the June 5 immediately preceding the player’s signing, the player shall be subject to selection at the fourth Selection Meeting that follows the signing date of the player’s first Major or Minor League contract, unless Rule 5(c)(1)(C) applies;
(C) if the signing date of a player’s first Major or Minor League contract is between
(i) the conclusion of the championship season for the Major or Minor League Club to which the player is assigned on such contract and
(ii) the next Rule 5 Selection Meeting,
then the player shall be deemed to have signed after the next Rule 5 Selection Meeting, for purposes of this Rule 5(c)(1).
(2) A player who is re-signed by a Club within one year from the date the Club released the player shall be subject to draft at the Rule 5 Selection Meeting following the date of the latest contract with that Club.
(3) A player who has been subject to draft at a Rule 5 Selection Meeting shall be subject to draft at any subsequent Rule 5 Selection Meeting if the player is on a Minor League Reserve List (filed pursuant to Rule 2 (Player Limits and Reserve Lists)) at the time of the Rule 5 Selection Meeting.
(4) A player
(A) whose contract has been assigned outright by a Major League Club to a Minor League Club,
(B) who has been signed as a free agent to a Minor League Uniform Player Contract for services in the following year and is otherwise subject to selection pursuant to Rule 5(c)(1) or Rule 5(c)(2), or
(C) who has been released unconditionally from a Minor League roster and is otherwise subject to selection pursuant to Rule 5(c)(1) or Rule 5(c)(2), shall be subject to selection at any subsequent Rule 5 Selection Meeting if the player is on a Minor League Reserve List (filed pursuant to Rule 2 (Player Limits and Reserve Lists)) at the time of the Rule 5 Selection Meeting.
(5) A Major League or independent Minor League Club may designate any player on one of its Minor League Reserve Lists to be subject to selection who otherwise would not be selectable under this Rule 5.
(d) CONSIDERATION, PAYMENT, AND RESPONSIBILITY. The consideration for a selection under this Rule 5 shall be as follows:
(1) $100,000, if the selected player is placed on a Major League Reserve List;
(2) $24,000, if the selected player is placed on a Class AAA Reserve List;
In addition to the compensation set forth in this paragraph, an independent Minor League Club shall be reimbursed by a selecting Major League Club for all compensation (including salary, bonuses and benefits) that it has paid to a selected player if the player is selected at the first selection meeting following the first year of the player’s initial Minor League Uniform Player Contract. Payment of the consideration due the selectee Club shall be made in the same manner as provided in Rule 12 Transfer Agreements) regarding other assignments of player contracts. The selector Major League Club must assume all responsibility for the player’s physical condition and for the player’s reporting.
(e) PLAYER-MANAGERS. A Player-Manager shall be subject to selection if the player would otherwise be selectable under Rule 5(c) (Players Subject to Selection). However, a player-manager shall be subject to selection as a player only and the player-manager selected may reject such selection by giving written or electronic notification of such rejection to the Commissioner within 30 days from the date that the player-manager receives notification of such selection from the Commissioner. A player-manager contract that has been executed within 30 days before the close of the season shall not be changed to a player contract during the season following execution of such player-manager contract unless the Commissioner approves such a change in writing.
(f) COVERING UP. No agreement shall be made for the purpose or with the effect of covering up a player from selection. If the Commissioner shall be of opinion that any such agreement has been made, the Commissioner may impose a fine upon each party to such an agreement.
RULE 5 ELIGIBILITY
The highlighted passage above regarding Rule 5 eligibility is somewhat cumbersome. What it means in English is that this year's eligible players basically include: 1) any player who signed prior to the end of the 2016 season; and 2) players who signed after the end of the 2016 season and prior to the end of the 2017 season who were 19 years old or older when they signed. That means most 2017 drafted college players are eligible, but high school players (and some community college players) drafted in 2017 may not be eligible until next year. For the international free agents, one needs to know when the player signed his first professional agreement and his age at signing to make the determination. There is an exception based on players who signed during the off-season, but otherwise, that is the basic gist of it.
The highlighted passage above regarding Rule 5 eligibility is somewhat cumbersome. What it means in English is that this year's eligible players basically include: 1) any player who signed prior to the end of the 2016 season; and 2) players who signed after the end of the 2016 season and prior to the end of the 2017 season who were 19 years old or older when they signed. That means most 2017 drafted college players are eligible, but high school players (and some community college players) drafted in 2017 may not be eligible until next year. For the international free agents, one needs to know when the player signed his first professional agreement and his age at signing to make the determination. There is an exception based on players who signed during the off-season, but otherwise, that is the basic gist of it.
MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE OF THE RULE 5 DRAFT
The first phase of the Rule 5 draft is the major league phase. In order to protect an eligible player from being drafted in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft, he must be on the major league club's 40-man roster prior to November 20th (if that falls on a business day). Players on the 40-man roster at that deadline are considered "protected."
Obviously not all of a team's best players can be protected on the 40-man roster. That is where the AAA Reserve List helps. If a player from the AAA Reserve List is drafted in the Rule 5 draft, that player must remain on the drafting team's 25-man major league roster for the full season or he will have to be put through waivers. If claimed, the new team will be subject to the same conditions regarding that player. If not claimed, the player will be offered back to the team from which he was drafted.
The cost of drafting a player in the major league phase of the draft is now $100,000. If the player is offered back to the team from which he was drafted, the original team must pay $50,000 back to the drafting team. If the original team declines, the player will be put on waivers.
Last season 1B Taylor Jones, RHP Cristian Javier, RHP Enoli Paredes and RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez were added to the 40-man roster by the Astros in advance of the deadline. The front office made the determination that these players were the most likely players to be taken in the Rule 5 draft. The front office took a calculated risk by not adding other players such as OF Ronnie Dawson and SS Jonathan Arauz (who were both in the Astros Top 30 at the time) to the 40-man roster, but only included them on the AAA Reserve List. They made a determination as to which players, if drafted, were more likely to "stick" on a major league roster for a full season and had mixed success in that one of the three unprotected players claimed in last year's Rule 5 draft (RHP Brandon Bailey) was returned to the team, but two other players were lost. The rules for sticking with a team changed in 2020 due to the pandemic-shortened season, but RHP Yohan Ramirez (Seattle) and SS Jonathan Arauz (Boston) ultimately stuck.
Obviously not all of a team's best players can be protected on the 40-man roster. That is where the AAA Reserve List helps. If a player from the AAA Reserve List is drafted in the Rule 5 draft, that player must remain on the drafting team's 25-man major league roster for the full season or he will have to be put through waivers. If claimed, the new team will be subject to the same conditions regarding that player. If not claimed, the player will be offered back to the team from which he was drafted.
The cost of drafting a player in the major league phase of the draft is now $100,000. If the player is offered back to the team from which he was drafted, the original team must pay $50,000 back to the drafting team. If the original team declines, the player will be put on waivers.
Last season 1B Taylor Jones, RHP Cristian Javier, RHP Enoli Paredes and RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez were added to the 40-man roster by the Astros in advance of the deadline. The front office made the determination that these players were the most likely players to be taken in the Rule 5 draft. The front office took a calculated risk by not adding other players such as OF Ronnie Dawson and SS Jonathan Arauz (who were both in the Astros Top 30 at the time) to the 40-man roster, but only included them on the AAA Reserve List. They made a determination as to which players, if drafted, were more likely to "stick" on a major league roster for a full season and had mixed success in that one of the three unprotected players claimed in last year's Rule 5 draft (RHP Brandon Bailey) was returned to the team, but two other players were lost. The rules for sticking with a team changed in 2020 due to the pandemic-shortened season, but RHP Yohan Ramirez (Seattle) and SS Jonathan Arauz (Boston) ultimately stuck.
Since players taken in the Rule 5 draft have to remain on the drafting team's 25-man roster for the full season, pitchers are taken much more frequently than position players simply because it's fairly easy to use a pitcher sparingly out of the bullpen. Position players can't be tucked away quite so neatly if they struggle. It all comes down to another team's ability to find room on their 25-man roster for a full season. It's simply not that easy to do and that's why so very few players are drafted in the Rule 5 draft and stick with a team.
It's also the case that often minor league fans overvalue prospects. We may think much more highly of a player than the other teams' front offices do. When all is said and done, the Astros front office will take some risks in leaving players unprotected, but it will be a highly educated guess based on many factors, including future needs.
MINOR LEAGUE PHASE OF THE RULE 5 DRAFT
There is now only one minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, reduced from two phases in earlier years. The players on the 40-man roster and the AAA reserve list aren't eligible to be taken in the minor league phase of the draft. To my knowledge the AAA reserve list is still set at 38 players so, in essence, you are protecting your top 78 players from the minor league phase. (As far as I know, AAA Reserve Lists are not made public so we are left to guess who the Astros will be shielding from the minor league phase of the draft.)
In the AAA Phase of the draft, a player who is on the AA Reserve List or lower can be drafted for inclusion on the drafting team's AAA Reserve list for a cost of $24,000. The kicker on the minor league phase of the draft is that the drafted player basically becomes that team's property. There is no requirement to offer the player back if he doesn't work out. He can be traded, released, etc. at a team's discretion.
ASTROS 2020 RULE 5 ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
According to my records, the following are those players who will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December if they are left unprotected. I am grouping them into two categories, those who ended the 2019 season at High A or above and those who ended the 2019 season at Low A or below. Players who are first year eligible have been #'d. Players who are currently on the MLB Pipeline Top 30 Prospect List (as of 11/10) have their ranking noted.
This is going to be a tough one. There are NINE players from the Astros Top 30 available and currently only four openings on the 40-man roster (as of 11/10). Regardless of any issues that Forrest Whitley has had, at number 1 in the prospect pecking order, he's pretty much a lock for one of those spaces. And, although Freudis Nova hasn't played above Low A, I'm not sure that the Astros are going to want to expose their number 2 prospect either. Beyond that, you have a number of pitching prospects that other teams will be taking a hard look at. Personally, Jairo Solis would have the edge for me even though he hasn't pitched above Low A; he is a special talent and will be two years removed from TJ surgery. But Jose Alberto Rivera, Tyler Ivey and Peter Solomon will all be attractive targets as well. From a position player standpoint, Ronnie Dawson (#29) is probably as ready for prime time as he's going to get. And there are certainly other players on this list who aren't currently on the Top 30 prospect list that could help another team out immediately. In particular, Alex DeGoti, Collin McKee and Ralph Garza stand out for me. But, unfortunately, all of this conjecture is based on the 2019 season since there was no actual minor league season in 2020.
I think this may very well be an unusually active Rule 5 draft as well. With smaller draft classes likely to become the norm and payrolls being squeezed by the pandemic, teams are going to be looking for bargains. It will not be surprising if the Astros lose a number of players unless they are able to find a bit more wiggle room on the roster.
Position Players
#1B Jake Adams
#1B Jake Adams
OF Ronnie Dawson #29
Position Players
#SS Luis Santana #19
IF Ronaldo Urdaneta
Pitchers
IF Ronaldo Urdaneta
Pitchers
#RHP Kyle Serrano
#RHP Jairo Solis #8 (TJ surgery in 2018) - Contract selected
RHP Edgardo Sandoval
RHP Felipe Tejada
#First year eligibility for Rule 5 Draft
In addition to the above, the following players are now minor league free agents as of the conclusion of the major league season and they can explore free agency.
Minor League Free Agents
C Oscar Campos
C Carlos Canelon
RHP Edgardo Sandoval
RHP Felipe Tejada
#First year eligibility for Rule 5 Draft
In addition to the above, the following players are now minor league free agents as of the conclusion of the major league season and they can explore free agency.
Minor League Free Agents
C Oscar Campos
C Carlos Canelon
