Which prospects should Boston Red Sox fans expect to lose in the Rule 5 Draft?
The Boston Red Sox have done an incredible job rebuilding their farm system over the last few seasons.
They now have some top-end talent with legitimate potential to become superstars in the Major Leagues. There's plenty of depth to find some hidden gems as well. And, of course, some phenomenal trade chips should they choose to go after veteran talent on other teams.
However, there is a negative to all of this. The Rule 5 Draft is coming up. For those who don't know, here's the SparkNotes version of the Rule 5 Draft. Teams take players not on the 40-man rosters of other teams.
And with the Red Sox holding on to so much talent in the minor leagues, the likelihood they lose someone (or multiple someones) in the draft is high.
With that in mind, it feels wise that fans brace themselves for this to happen. Don't expect Boston to come out of the Rule 5 Draft with all of the same prospects still on the roster.
Who could be gone, though? Well, we have a slightly better idea with the Red Sox adding Luis Perales and Wikelman Gonzalez to their 40-man roster. It means they wanted to protect them from the other teams. However, it also gives us an idea of who they aren't as worried about.
It's important to remember that players taken in this draft need to be on the team's Major League roster, or they could be sent back to their original team (like what happened to Noah Song).
With that in mind, teams shouldn't be too worried about hitters not in Triple-A. At the same time, pitchers not in Double-A or higher are likely safe. A low-end team could take a chance on a pitcher far from the Majors and stash them in the bullpen, but it's a risky move. So, it's safe to assume the players in the most danger of being selected are pitchers or any prospect in Triple-A.
Let's take a look at five prospects that could have new homes following the Rule 5 Draft.