Major League Baseball’s offseason has moved slowly, with only a few minor trades and free agent deals completed so far. Things will start to look up in a few weeks as we get closer to the MLB Winter Meetings.

When the front offices of all 30 MLB teams gather in Dallas, Texas, in December, one of the biggest events is the annual MLB Rule 5 Draft. While not as popular or impactful to organizations as the Summer Amateur Draft, the Rule 5 Draft can still be an important event that shapes MLB rosters. Here’s all the information you need for this year’s Rule 5 Draft and what it means for the Toronto Blue Jays.

MLB’s Rule 5 Draft Explained: What is it, who is eligible and when does it happen?

The Rule 5 Draft, held every offseason during the Winter Meetings, is designed to prevent teams from hoarding talent in the minors. The draft only affects minor leaguers who are already in MLB farm systems and are left unprotected by their organizations.

Any Rule 5 eligible player who is off the 40-man roster at the roster protection deadline may be selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

When is the 2024 Rule 5 roster protection deadline and who is eligible?

The deadline for teams to determine their 40-man squads is November 19 at 18:00.

Players signed at age 18 or younger must be added to the 40-man roster within five years, while players signed at age 19 or older must be added within four years. This means that the Blue Jays must protect anyone who signed 18 or under in 2020 and 19 or older in 2021 for this year’s Rule 5 Draft.

If an unprotected player is selected in the Rule 5 Draft, the selecting team will pay $100,000 for the pick. That player must remain on the new team’s 26-man roster for the entirety of the following season, or he must be offered back to the original team for $50,000.

Which Blue Jays players are Rule 5 eligible this year?

The Blue Jays have some key minor leaguers eligible for Rule 5 this year. Among 38 eligible players (According to FanGraphs’ RosterResource) five players Named to Blue Jays’ Top 30 prospect list By MLB Pipeline:

• Eddinson Paulino, 3B (No. 17)
• Dahian Santos, RHP (No. 20)
• Yohendrick Pinango, OF (No. 21)
• Dasan Brown, OF (No. 23)
• Victor Arias, OF (No. 28)

Other notable names the Blue Jays need to decide on include: Damiano PalmegianiHayden Juenger, Lazaro EstradaConnor Cooke, Chad Dallas and Trenton Wallace.

If the Blue Jays want to ensure these prospects remain in the organization, they will need to add them to the 40-man roster before November 19th. Even if players go unprotected, that doesn’t mean they will be selected in the Rule 5 Draft. Note that selected players must remain on the active roster for the entire season; therefore, teams will only draft players they think are MLB ready.

At the time of this writing, the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster is full, so some roster moves will be necessary if the team wants to retain any players.

toronto Protected Adam Macko from Rule 5 Draft He did not select any players himself last winter. One of the Blue Jays’ most famous Rule 5 returning players is reliever Jordan Romano, who was acquired in 2018 but returned after failing to make the Texas Rangers’ Opening Day roster.

Where will the Blue Jays select in the Rule 5 Draft?

Rule 5 Draft order is determined by the reverse order of season standings. After missing the playoffs in 2024, the Blue Jays will be picked seventh in each round of the draft.

Unlike the Amateur Draft, teams are not required to make a selection in every round of the Rule 5 Draft – or at all.

When is the 2024 Rule 5 Draft?

The 2024 Rule 5 Draft is scheduled for December 11 during the Winter Meetings, which will be held December 9-12.

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