Orioles complacent during Rule 5 draft, lose 7 prospects in the process

The 2024 MLB Rule 5 draft took place this afternoon and while the Orioles have space on the 40-man, they chose not to make a selection during either the major or minor league phases of the draft. Going into the event, it was questionable whether the O's would decide to select any of the available players. After all, there's still competition among the current guys on the roster, and 40-man space will be tight as we get closer to Opening Day.

Still, it was a bit of a surprise to see the Orioles skip the entire draft completely. In total, the O's lost seven prospects today. The most notable of the group was RHP Juan Nuñez, a 24 year old Dominican prospect who missed most of 2024 with a shoulder issue.

There was brief talk about Nuñez being added to the 40-man ahead of the draft in order to protect him and keep him in the system. Despite his potential, missing most of 2024 was a problem, and he's still yet to pitch above High-A. The likelihood that Nuñez is a positive contributor for the Padres in 2025 is slim, but if they can find a way to hide him on the roster all year he could prove to be a useful piece in the future.

Nuñez was one of the highest ranked prospects taken all day. He had been ranked number 8 in the Orioles' system on the 2024 mid-season MLB.com list. He'll slide a bit lower once he arrives in San Diego, and will likely drop a bit in the early 2025 rankings thanks to his extended absence this past year.

Orioles fall flat during Winter Meetings, ignore Rule 5 draft

In total, fifteen players were taken in the major league phase of the draft. The Braves were the only team to select a player in the second round, though one of their selections could be used as trade bait before we get to spring training.

Additionally, it was a bit of a surprise to see the Orioles pass on the entire list of players eligible in the minor league phase. The O's were one of just two teams to skip the entire minor league phase, along with the Rangers. Meanwhile, the Pirates and Astros took 5 guys apiece in the minor league phase, while the Phillies took 6.

Most of those guys won't be impact players in the near term, but there are many ways to stash players you like if wanted to. The O's clearly feel good about the guys already in the system, and are comfortable enough taking a massive hit and losing over a half-dozen prospects in one fell swoop. We'll see how the Orioles are able to move forward and address the open roster spots as we get closer to Opening Day.