Braves make roster move ahead of Rule 5 Draft, but not the one fans expected

The Rule 5 Draft is only a few weeks away and will take place on Dec. 11 at the MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas, Texas. Fans are fairly familiar with the MLB Draft that takes place every Summer. However, the Rule 5 Draft is a bit different.

Teams are forced to examine their organizational depth and decide what players are most valuable to them. Sometimes this works out but it can also come back to bite them if they make the wrong choice. However, it's something every MLB team faces at the end of each season.

Braves 2024 Rule 5 Draft: Full details, roster deadline, eligible players

Essentially, the Rule 5 Draft prevents MLB organizations from hoarding young talent. If a team wants to retain a particular prospect, it must add the player to the 40-man roster before the deadline.

The player's age determines when they are required to be protected. If signed at age 18 or younger, they must be added to the 40-man roster within five seasons. If they are signed at age 19 or older, they must be added within four seasons.

Each team chooses their picks in reverse order of the standings, so the Braves would pick later in the Draft. If a player is selected, the organization who selected them must pay $100,000 for the rights to that player. Additionally, the selected player must spend the entire season on the 26-man roster or offer the player back to his original team for $50,000.

The deadline to protect prospects this year is November 18th, and the Braves have already decided on one of their eligible prospects. However, it may not be the player most fans expected to be protected.

Atlanta decided to protect pitching prospect Rolddy Muñoz on Monday. He will not be available for teams to select in the Rule 5 Draft. Muñoz is a 24-year-old flamethrower who had a mediocre season in 2024. He completed the year with a 4.24 ERA in 38 appearances (one start) across the High-A and Double-A levels. He struck out 75 batters, issued 22 walks, and allowed three homers over 51 innings.

He's worth protecting because he could be a valuable arm to a rebuilding ball club. The Braves must see something in him that they value highly. However, he's not the player fans would have expected to be protected as Atlanta's 15th-best prospect, Luis De Avila, is still not on the 40-man roster.

There's only one spot left on the 40-man after the addition of Muñoz. It would be shocking if the Braves chose not to protect De Avila, as he is regarded as one of the best arms in the organization. De Avila is a talented lefty that could benefit Atlanta in the long run.

De Avila had a decent 2024 season at Double-A Mississippi with a 3.74 ERA across 101 innings pitched. He struck out 79 batters but struggled a bit with walks, as he issued 46 of them. Maybe Atlanta has some concerns about his walk rate but it would be shocking if they let a top-15 prospect get away.

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