One of the more underrated events of the year, the Rule 5 Draft gives teams an opportunity to steal talent from other clubs, who may either not have space for them on their major league roster or don’t fully see the talent.
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Shane Victorino and Johan Santana are just two examples of players who were selected in the Rule 5 Draft who went on to have very successful major league careers.
Here’s all you need to know about the 2019 installment:
What is the 2019 Rule 5 Draft?
There’s a bit of technical stuff that goes into the Rule 5 draft, but the gist is this: Players in a minor league system who are not placed on a team’s 40-man roster are eligible to be drafted by another team with a few qualifications:
— Players who signed with their current club at age 18 or younger and have five years of experience are eligible to be drafted if they aren’t on the 40-man roster.
— Players who are 19 or older and have four years of experience are eligible, as well.
Once a player is drafted, the team drafting the player must pay $100,000 to the club from which the player is drafted. The selected player must stay on a team’s 25-man roster for a year. If not, he reverts back to his original squad for $50,000.
A team can only make a selection if its 40-man roster is not full.
When is the 2019 Rule 5 Draft?
The Rule 5 draft takes place on Thursday, Dec. 12 at noon eastern (9 a.m. PT).
Rule 5 Draft 2019 order
The Rule 5 draft order is the reverse order of the 2019 regular-season standings:
- Tigers 2. Orioles 3. Marlins 4. Royals 5. Blue Jays 6. Mariners 7. Pirates 8. Padres 9. Rockies 10. Angels 11. White Sox 12. Reds 13. Giants 14. Rangers 15. Phillies 16. Cubs 17. Red Sox 18. Diamondbacks 19. Mets 20. Brewers 21. Cardinals 22. Nationals 23. Indians 24. Rays 25. Braves 26. A’s 27. Twins 28. Yankees 29. Dodgers 30. Astros
Rule 5 Draft 2019 selections
Eleven selections were made in the major-league portion of the 2019 Rule 5 Draft.
Round 1:
Round 2:
