While the MLB Winter Meetings have taken on an entirely new look this year because of health concerns surrounding the pandemic, there won’t be anything from preventing the Rule 5 Draft from being orchestrated as normal.
Sure, teams will need to make their respective picks virtually—if they decide to make any selections at all—but the original rules of the event will remain intact.
The 2020 version of the draft will be conducted on Thursday, December 10—the final day of this year’s “virtual” Winter Meetings.
If a player signs with a big league team when he is 18, then he must be added to that team’s 40-man roster within five years or he becomes Rule 5 eligible, making him available to other teams for the taking at the draft.
Players who sign with a major league club at the age of 19 or older must be added to the 40-man within five seasons.
Teams pay $100,000 to select a player in the major league phase of the draft. If that player doesn’t stay on the 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $50,000.
Additionally, there is a minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. The cost is $24,000 for a Triple-A pick, with anyone not protected on a big league or Triple-A roster being eligible. Players chosen in this portion of the draft aren’t subject to any roster restrictions with their new clubs.
Players who are selected in the major league phase are immediately added to their new team’s 40-man roster.
Last month, the Dodgers added four players to the organization’s 40-man roster to protect them from this year’s draft. Those players were right-handed pitchers Gerardo Carrillo, Andre Jackson and Edwin Uceta, in addition to outfielder Zach Reks.
In 2019, the Dodgers protected three players—righty pitcher Mitchell White, utility man Zach McKinstry, and outfielder DJ Peters.
Players who are currently listed on the Dodgers’ Top 30 prospect list but are not protected this year include infielder Omar Estevez (currently ranked No. 21 according to MLB Pipeline), righty pitcher Brett de Gues (ranked No. 27), and outfielder Cody Thomas (ranked No. 30).
Los Angeles did not make any selections in last year’s major league portion of the Rule 5 draft, but the team did select 23-year-old infielder Carlos Sepulveda, formerly of the Cubs, in the minor league phase.
So far during the offseason, a lot of us have been discussing the organizational depth in the outfield, throwing around the idea the Dodgers might be in the market for some younger outfielders this winter. This could be the perfect opportunity to make such an addition.
Seemingly, Los Angeles is plentifully stocked with big league options in the outfield. Accordingly, they have a few up and comers on the lower level of the farm, including 18-year-old Luis Rodriguez and 19-year-old Andy Pages. However, it’s the fringe area where the club is lacking.
Regardless, because of their success in the 2020 campaign, the Dodgers are positioned to select 30th in the first round of this year’s draft, should they decide to utilize the opportunity.
Right now, the Dodgers’ 40-man roster sits at 37 players.
The draft will begin at noon Eastern time and will be streamed live on MLB.com.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
JP Hoornstra said yesterday that internally the Dodgers are expecting to lose Estevez tomorrow. I wouldn’t be surprised to see deGeus go also, but I hope not since I’m a fan of his.
I don’t expect to see Peters or Thomas ever play here as big leaguers and I doubt either will be taken tomorrow. If we, at some point, need to clear roster space I would think that Raley and Sborz might be the first to go. Also, at some point Ferguson can be put on the 60 day IL and that would create another spot.
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Peters is already on the 40-man.
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My bad on Peters, so he certainly won’t be taken tomorrow, but my statement about his not playing here still stands. Actually I’d like to be proven wrong because I like him. Seems to be a good guy and a hard worker.
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Tremendous athlete all the way around. The only thing standing in the way of his success is his propensity to swing and miss. Unfortunately, there’s not much room for that in today’s game. Gone are the days of Dave Kingman and Rob Deere when 200 punchouts were justified with 35+ long balls.
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Realized many years ago this draft is pretty much irrelevant. You could count on your fingers the number of players taken in this draft, who ended up being major leaguers. By the time you are 24 /25 and not on a roster, you are pretty much finished your baseball career. Actually the 40 man roster is in itself a bit excessive. If it was 34 /35 man roster you wouldn’t even notice. Bad teams might pick up a player every few years, which would probably be good for baseball. Even the dodgers have 4/5 players every year on their 40 man that never see a major league park. Actually jeff has just pointed this out to us.
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That was always the key benefit of September’s roster expansion. Just to see how some of the fringe guys on the 40-man would handle themselves in a big league dugout and on the field.
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I can name one pretty famous one and he was picked off of the Dodger roster not once, but twice and went on to be a big part of a World Championship team. The Flying Hawaiian, Shane Victorino. Picked from the roster by the Padres in 2002 and returned to LA in May of 03, he was then picked again by the Phillies in the 2004 draft. Victorino would play for 8 years in Philly. Compiling a ,279 BA and 179 stolen bases while only being caught 39 times. He played 53 games for the Dodgers in 2012 and finished his career in LA with the Angels in 2015 after a 2 1/2 year stint in Boston. He hit 3 homers in NLCS games against the Dodgers. He played on the Phillies 2008 Championship team and the Red Sox 2013 Championship team.
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I can name someone more famous than Victorino. How about Roberto Clemente?
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Yep, he is definitely more famous. I cited Victorino because it happened twice.
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40 man roster is not excessive when you consider the chance of injury. And the Dodgers over the AF years anyway use a good portion of those player. Even with the expanded roster this season, it seemed at times like they were short handed.
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The week of the winter meetings have been one of my favorite times of the year. Put a bunch of free agents, player agents, GMs, and team presidents in the same hotel, and usually something exciting happens. It’s a shame, Because this is a time of year every fan can get excited about what their team may do, to improve for next year. one more thing to look forward to next year, after the COVID vaccine comes out, and our life’s, can go back to a some what normal.
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