Orioles 2024 Rule 5 draft: Full details, roster deadline, players who are eligible

MLB's Rule 5 draft is quickly approaching and the Orioles have a number of players that they'll want to protect. The draft itself won't take place until the Winter Meetings, which take place in December. This year's events, which are set to take place in Dallas, will culminate with the Rule 5 draft on December 11.

However, though the draft doesn't take place until roughly a month from now, the deadline for teams to protect eligible players is this coming Tuesday, November 19. Certain minor league players are eligible based on when they were drafted, or signed, and how long they've been in a team's system.

Any player who was signed at 19 years or older must be placed on a team's 40-man roster after 4 years, and any player signed at 18 years old or younger must be placed on the 40-man after 5 years, or be subject to the Rule 5 draft.

Though it's billed as a way to prevent players from getting buried in a team's minor league system, it's also a way to prevent teams from hoarding young talent. MLB teams want that talent evenly distributed around the league and the Rule 5 draft helps more players get a crack at the majors.

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

The catch with the Rule 5 draft is that if a team selects a player (they have the option to pass), they have to pay the player's old team $100k, and also must keep the Rule 5 player on the major league roster for the entire following season. Players selected in the draft can be placed on the IL like normal, but they must spend a minimum of 90 days on the active roster or else be subject to the same roster restrictions in the following season.

Players taken in the draft are not eligible to be sent down to the minors unless they're first offered back to their original team, for a price of $50k. If the original team opts not to take the player back, then the player can be placed on waivers. This situation is fairly uncommon, however.

The Orioles themselves have had some success with the Rule 5 draft. Anthony Santander was once upon a time a Rule 5 selection, and that choice has panned out extremely well. The vast majority of Rule 5 picks don't pan out, but there have been some successful stories, including guys like Santander, Tyler Wells, Garrett Whitlock, and Mark Canha.

Which players will the Orioles protect this year?

This is the question on everyone's mind. There are a few strong prospects who will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter, and the Orioles will surely look to find a way to keep them around. The full list is as follows.

The names that stick out the most include starting pitchers Brandon Young, Alex Pham, and Juan Nunez, first baseman TT Bowens, and outfielder Hudson Haskin. A couple weeks back, catcher Maverick Handley would have been on this list but with the signing of former Rays' catcher Rene Pinto, Handley becomes more expendable.

The Orioles won't add everyone in that group, but Young and Nunez seem like two guys that absolutely should be added to the 40-man prior to Tuesday's deadline. Young was very good in 2024, pitching to a 3.44 ERA in Triple-A with a 26% strikeout rate. Nunez threw 29.1 innings at High-A and posted a 2.45 ERA with a 32% strikeout rate.

It's possible that Haskin gets protected as well, as there's still a lack of clarity on the outfield situation with the departure of Anthony Santander. Players can still be outrighted and traded after the deadline on Tuesday, so the Orioles won't be locked into their roster choices after they make final decisions next week.