The deadline to add players to the 40-man roster in order to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft is today. Paul Toboni had a few interesting decisions to make, but in the end he added three players to the 40-man roster.
Those players are Jake Bennett, Christian Franklin and Riley Cornelio.
The Rule 5 Draft is one of the quirkier events on the MLB offseason calendar. When players have been in the minors for a certain amount of time, teams have to add them to the 40-man roster or risk them being claimed by another team. The team that claims the player has to carry them on their MLB roster for a full season. If they decide not to keep them on the roster, they have to return the player to their old team. Here is a link to a writeup that goes more in depth on the rules.
The Nats have picked a player in the Rule 5 Draft in the last few years. Bad teams often use it to find a diamond in the rough. For the Nats, Thaddeus Ward and Evan Reifert have been misses, while Nasim Nunez has been a worthwhile addition to the organization. Sometimes you can really strike gold though. The most recent example is last year when the White Sox picked up Shane Smith, who had a really nice rookie season and looks like a long term piece of the Sox rotation.
Usually teams find relievers or bench bats in the draft though. Paul Toboni should pick up a player in this year’s Rule 5. It is a super cheap way to find talent. The hit rate is not great because these guys are often unprotected for a reason, but it is worth taking a shot in the dark.
Among the names the Nats protected, Bennett and Franklin were obvious. Both are top 15 prospects in the organization who are likely to play a role in the Big Leagues at some point next season. Bennett had a fantastic season in his first campaign back from Tommy John Surgery, posting a 2.27 ERA in 75.1 innings. At 25 years old with quality stuff and control, do not be surprised to see the former second rounder make big league starts next year.
Franklin came to the Nats recently. He was part of the package that sent Michael Soroka to the Cubs. Franklin turns 26 at the end of the month, but after a strong season in AAA, he is big league ready. He is fantastic against left handed pitching, which gives him a straight-forward role as a platoon bat in the outfield. Franklin also has a good eye and is a quality athlete. Do not be surprised to see him leapfrog bigger names like potentially Robert Hassell.
The most surprising addition is Cornelio, though his inclusion is not a massive shock. He is not as big of a name as Bennett or Franklin, but he was one of the few bright spots in the Nats system last season. Cornelio had a Brad Lord-like rise from obscurity, climbing from High-A to Triple-A. He posted a 3.28 ERA across 134.1 innings. I think Cornelio could be a solid swing man like Lord was last year. He has mid-90’s heat and a very good slider.
There were also a few interesting names that the Nats left unprotected. Notably, Tyler Stuart, Marquis Grissom Jr. and Cayden Wallace were left unprotected. Stuart and Wallace were prospects acquired at the 2024 trade deadline that have not quite panned out, while Grissom is a relief prospect with a great changeup.
Stuart just had Tommy John Surgery, so a team could look to stash him on their roster. However, he is an older prospect with questionable upside so he is likely to stay. Wallace seemed like a great pickup when the Nats acquired him from Kansas City in the Hunter Harvey trade.
Wallace struggled heavily in Double-A though. He posted a sub-.700 OPS, a number that was sitting in the low-.600’s before a hot finish. At 24 years old with limited upside, I do not think anyone will claim Wallace. Sadly, he seems like what scouts call JAG, or just a guy.
Grissom could be claimed and stashed as a mop up man in a bullpen. He had a rough adjustment period to AAA, but put up dominant numbers at the lower levels as a relief prospect. Grissom has a fantastic changeup, but was exposed as a bit of a one trick pony in AAA. Nothing else about his profile really stands out. A team may take a shot, but it is also quite possible that he stays around as well.
The deadline for teams to protect their guys is 6 PM, so news will trickle in about who has been added to the other team’s 40-man rosters. There are always a few interesting players that do not get protected and we will stay on top of that. So much of modern baseball is about finding value wherever you can and the Rule 5 draft is a perfect opportunity for teams to find value for free.
