Weighing which prospects the Texas Rangers should protect from the Rule 5 draft
The deadline to set the 40-man roster is Friday, and the Rangers could add anywhere from three to six minor-leaguers.
The biggest deadline of the offseason come at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 1, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires. If a new CBA isn’t in place, baseball could be looking at its first work stoppage since the destructive 1994 players strike.
With the price of gas and groceries soaring this year, a public feud between the millionaire players and the billionaire owners might make baseball an even less popular sport than it is currently trending.
The most important non-CBA deadline of the offseason arrives at 5 p.m. Friday, when teams must set their 40-man rosters and add any minor-leaguers they don’t want exposed to the Rule 5 draft.
Players who are eligible for the Rule 5 fall into two categories — those who first signed at age 18 and haven’t been added to the 40-man roster within five seasons, or those who signed at 19 and haven’t been added within four seasons.
Teams can draft a player for $100,000 but must keep him on the active roster all season. If he isn’t and if he passes through waivers, he is offered back to his old team for $50,000.
The Texas Rangers might have too many to protect.
There is a list of at least 15 who have a case to be protect from the Rule 5 draft, which typically takes place on the final day of the winter meetings.
A few are obvious choices. Some will be tough calls. There’s a chance the Rangers could lose a player.