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Atlanta Braves Make Roster Updates Ahead of Rule 5 Protection Deadline

By Alan Carpenter

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Dec 12, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Executives with the Texas Rangers talk during the Rule 5 Draft during the MLB Winter Meetings at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. The Texas Rangers chose Russell Wilson, quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks in the draft. Mandatory Credit:

David Manning

-USA TODAY Sports

About the Rule 5 Draft

This draft is held at the end of baseball’s Winter Meetings, and is a means for minor league players who might be blocked from progressing in their organizations to get a shot at a higher level.  Teams can choose to protect their better prospects, though, and that’s what tomorrow’s deadline is all about:  if you’re on the 40-man roster, you are shielded from the Rule 5 draft.

More from Tomahawk Take

Eligibility:  there’s two parts…

  • Players 18 or younger on June 5 before signing their 1st pro deal are Rule 5 Draft eligible after 4 minor league seasons.
  • All others:  3 minor league seasons

Unprotected eligible players may be drafted by any major league club, subject to these rules:

  • There is a draft fee of $50,000
  • You can select up to two players per year
  • You can lose – at most – two players to other clubs per year.
  • All players drafted must be (a) placed on their new team’s 40-man roster; (b) promoted to the majors; and (c) kept on the 25-man active roster for the entire year.
  • If a Rule 5 player is demoted to the minors during that next season, he has to be offered back to the original club for $25,000.

One of the latest successful Rule 5 pick-ups was former Braves Sean Gilmartin, selected by the Mets from the Twins.  He made it for the entire season, and he’s now a bona fide Met.

Funny history:  BaseballAmerica records that in 1988, the Braves had forgotten to protect RHP Ben Rivera.  However, the Braves had the 1st Rule 5 draft pick, so … they drafted him themselves.

The Braves – uncharacteristically – selected Daniel Winkler from the Rockies last year, though this was a strategic move as he was on the disabled list for nearly the entire year while rehabbing his TJ elbow.  There’s some specific rules covering this situation, but in short, Atlanta has to keep him on the active roster for a few weeks to start the season before their obligations are met.

Do the Braves Have a 40-man Roster Crunch?

Not at this time.  There are now 2 slots available on the 40-man list, and these will allow the team some space to sign a fre agent, make a trade, or whatever (I doubt they’ll make another Rule 5 pick this year, but we’ll see).

But J.J. Cooper of Baseball America did raise that issue this afternoon:

What did he mean by that?

The Braves have been very busy accumulating new prospects.  Some are now on the 40-man list, some are not.  But with many of them getting bunched into that AA/AAA area, that’s a sign that their years of non-roster protection are waning and in the next year (or two), Atlanta might be faced with a use-them-or-lose-them situation.

It’s nothing to be concerned about today, and it might be that things just work out over time via trades, a player getting hurt or otherwise under-performing, or… something else.  But you might also see some minor trades to move lesser prospects to avoid just that kind of future problem.

In fact, one such deal already happened:  C Jose Briceno was traded to Anaheim as part of the Andrelton Simmons deal.  It’s very possible that the Braves would have left him unprotected this week, and as a result, they just threw him into that trade to a willing Angels club.

Next: Hopefully This Won't be a Back-Breaker for Kolby

So that’s a quick-and-dirty run through of the roster moves of the day.  The Winter Meetings will begin in 2-1/2 weeks in Nashville, with the Rule 5 Draft ending the festivities on Thursday, December 10th.

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