MLB offseason dates every Braves fan should know: Free agency, Winter Meetings

Baseball has three seasons: the championship season, the postseason, and the offseason. Baseball’s third season with its own rules and schedule; here’s what you should know about the Hot Stove League ahead.

Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos will be a busy man this November.
Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos will be a busy man this November. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Rule 5 Draft Photo
Members of the media look on during the MLB Rule 5 Draft at the 2022 MLB Winter Meetings | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

The Rule 5 Draft

The Rule 5 Draft allows teams to select players they feel are ready for a chance in the majors who have yet to advance in their current organization. The draft has two phases, Major League and Minor League,

Eligible players were either drafted at 18 or younger and haven’t been added to the 40-man roster in their first five seasons or players signed at 19 or older who haven’t been added to the 40-man after four seasons. To prevent a player from being taken, his current team must protect him by adding him to the 40-man roster.

When a Major League team selects a player, they pay the player’s current organization $100K and must add the player to their 26-man roster. The drafted player must remain on the 26-man roster or Major League injured list all season or be offered back to his former team for $50,000.

The Minor League phase is usually more active because there’s no requirement to add the player to any Major League roster. Teams pay a fee of $24K to the player's current organization, and are free to assign players level of their new team's Minor League system.

The same players are eligible if they aren’t on the 38-man Triple-A roster in their current organization.

1. AAA Players

• Outfielder Justin Dean

• Reliever Domingo Gonzalez

2. AA Players

• Catcher/1B Javier Valdes

• 1B Bryson Horne

• Utility man Geraldo Quintero

• Infielder Cade Bunnell

• Infielder Yolbert Sanchez

• Utility man Cody Milligan

• Outfielder Brandon Parker

• Outfielder Jesse Franklin V

• Starter Luis De Avila

• Reliever Rolddy Munoz

• Reliever Trey Riley

• Reliever Jonathan Hughes

• Reliever Peyton Williams

I doubt the Braves add any of them to the 40-man roster.

The Braves have five players in the lower minors who are Rule 5 eligible but are more likely to move during the Minor League portion of the draft.

3. A+ and Low A players

• Outfielder Stephen Paolini

• Starters Luis Vargas and Jared Johnson

Low A:

• Reliever Adel Dilone

• Outfielder Kadon Morton

The Braves won't be active in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft but could use the Minor League Phase to restock the system

One last thing…

The current International Draft Signing Period closes December 15, but it’s only a holiday sabbatical because a new signing period opens on January 15. 

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