Dodgers News: 3 Players Added to 40-Man Roster, Protected from Rule 5 Draft
Today, MLB clubs announced the players they would be adding to their 40-man roster to protect those players from the Rule 5 Draft. Your Los Angeles Dodgers protected three such prospects this year.
What is the Rule 5 Draft?
The Rule 5 Draft allows clubs with an empty 40-man roster to draft eligible players from other teams with a full 40-man roster. Eligible players are any player not on a 40-man roster, were originally drafted when they were 19 years or older, and have been in the club’s system for more than four years.
Clubs drafting players this way must immediately add the player to the 26-man roster for a fee of $100,000 paid to the other team. The player must then stay on their new team the entire year. They can only be removed from the roster by being outrighted to waivers.
If a player clears waivers this way they are offered back to the team from which they were drafted for $50,000.
Dodgers’ Protected Players
The Dodgers added RHP Nick Frasso, RHP Landon Knack, and C Hunter Feduccia to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft.
The Dodgers’ Pitchers
Nick Frasso came over to the Dodgers in 2022 as part of the Mitch White trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. The 25-year-old has impressed scouts in his time with the Dodgers. He sports a high 90s fastball with arm-side run, good change-up, and a good slider. His above-average extension makes his fastball play even faster than it seems. Currently, the 4th ranked prospect in the Dodgers system, expect to see him contribute next season in a similar fashion as Emmet Sheehan did last year.
The Dodgers selected Landon Knack in the second round of the 2020 Junior Amateur MLB Draft. Despite having trouble staying healthy, Knack impressed the Dodgers most with his excellent command and elite strike-out rate. His “stuff” does not impress all that much, but his ability to command all pitches to every quadrant of the zone makes him a weapon. He currently ranks 9th in the Dodgers system and, if healthy, could make an appearance next year in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers’ Catcher
Hunter Feduccia is the next exciting catcher in a system flush with excellent catching talent. The Dodgers selected him back in 2018 and his rise to AAA has been very steady. Maybe not the offensive force like Dalton Rushing or Will Smith, but Feduccia calls a good game and is very much a pitcher’s catcher. He flourished last year in AAA posting his best offensive season with a .838 OPS and 11 home runs in 90 games. If anything happens to Barnes or Smith next year, Feduccia no doubt gets the call up to the majors.
More Dodgers Offseason
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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