The Rule 5 Draft looms in early December, and the Boston Red Sox decided to protect two eligible prospects by putting them on the 40-man roster.
Righty pitcher Hunter Dobbins and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia have been added to the 40-man roster, which was full at the time of the announcement. Boston has designated righty pitchers Isaiah Campbell and Bryan Mata for assignment to accommodate the two prospects.
Dobbins and Garcia are not the only Sox prospects eligible to be taken in the Rule 5 Draft, but will be the only two protected. Right-handed pitcher Yordanny Monegro, corner infielder Blaze Jordan and outfielder Allan Castro are all top 30 prospects in the Red Sox organization and will be up for grabs in the Dec. 12 draft proceedings.
Dobbins is the No. 21 prospect in Boston's system and, if it only opted to protect one player, it probably would've been him. He posted a breakout season between Double-A and Triple-A last season and stood out in a pool of talent that lacks quality starting pitching.
Red Sox protect prospects Hunter Dobbins and Jhostynxon Garcia from Rule 5 Draft, DFA Bryan Mata and Isaiah Campbell
The #RedSox today selected RHP Hunter Dobbins and OF Jhostynxon Garcia to the Major League roster.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) November 19, 2024
The club also designated RHPs Isaiah Campbell and Bryan Mata for assignment.
Boston’s 40-man roster is now at 40.
Dobbins pitched to a 3.08 ERA with 120 strikeouts and 48 walks over 125.2 innings between Portland and Worcester. The righty only allowed two homers all season, which definitely helped en route to his Minor League Pitcher of the Year award. He hopes to make his major league debut in 2025.
Garcia is the Red Sox's No. 12 prospect, and much of Red Sox Nation was surprised to see him protected. The 21-year-old rose through three levels of the minor leagues and posted a great season, but he finished the year in Double-A, which makes it unlikely for him to debut in 2025. Still, Boston decided to give him a spot on the 40-man roster, which shows how highly the organization thinks of him. Garcia batted .286/.356/.536 with a .892 OPS over 107 games from Single-A to Double-A. He knocked 24 doubles, five triples, 23 homers and 66 RBI.