The Major League Baseball offseason is slowly churning as we all wait for the first big-name free agents to find new contracts and the trade floodgates to open. So far, it’s been quiet as the league builds up to the annual MLB Winter Meetings.

One of the events that will take place when all 30 teams are gathered in Dallas, Texas, in December is the MLB Rule 5 Draft. This raises the question: What is the Rule 5 Draft? We have all the answers below, including what this year’s draft means for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Explaining MLB’s Rule 5 Draft: What it is, who is eligible and when it takes place

Every year during the Winter Meetings, MLB’s Rule 5 Draft sees minor league players move between organizations. Unlike the summer MLB Amateur Draft, the Rule 5 Draft is only for players who are already in MLB farm systems.

Designed as a way to stop teams from hoarding talent in the minors, the Rule 5 Draft affects players who aren’t on a team’s 40-man roster. Any Rule 5-eligible minor leaguers left off the 40-man roster can be selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

When is the Rule 5 roster protection deadline?

The deadline for all MLB teams to set their 40-man roster is 6 p.m. ET on Nov. 19.

Teams have five years to add players who signed at 18 or younger to the 40-man roster, and four years to add players who signed at 19 or older. That means that anyone 18 or under who the Phillies signed in 2020 and 19 or over who signed in 2021 must be protected for this year’s Rule 5 Draft.

If a team selects an unprotected player in the Rule 5 Draft, they fork over $100,000. That player must stay on the 26-man roster for the full season. Otherwise, he’s offered back to his original team for $50,000.

Which Phillies players are Rule 5-eligible this year?

The Phillies have quite a few notable minor leaguers and prospects who are Rule 5-eligible this year. Among the 33 eligible players (based on FanGraphs’ RosterResource) are six players ranked in the Phillies’ Top 30 prospect list by MLB Pipeline:

• Mick Abel, RHP (No. 6)
• Jean Cabrera, RHP (No. 13)
• Griff McGarry, RHP (No. 21)
• Christian McGowan, RHP (No. 22)
• Carlos De La Cruz, OF (No. 25)
• Moisés Chace, RHP (No. 26)

The Phillies will need to add these prospects to the 40-man roster before the Nov. 19 deadline or risk losing them in the Rule 5 Draft. We should see some serious roster shuffling to get these players protected. At the time of writing, the Phillies only have 37 of their 40 spots filled, so three additions will be easy to make. If they want to add any more, additional moves will be required.

Last winter, the Phillies lost four pitchers in the Rule 5 Draft, but none of them were top prospects.

Where will the Phillies pick in the Rule 5 Draft?

The order for the Rule 5 Draft is determined by the order of the final standings from the previous season, in reverse. After bowing out of the playoffs way too soon in the NLDS, the Phillies will have the 26th pick in each round.

Keep in mind that unlike the summer Amateur Draft teams aren’t required to make a pick in the Rule 5 Draft.

When is the Rule 5 Draft?

This year’s Rule 5 Draft will take place during the Winter Meetings, which run from Dec. 9-12. The draft is scheduled for Dec. 11.

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