Was This the Reason Orioles’ Didn’t Protect Top Prospect Before Rule 5 Draft?

The Baltimore Orioles made an interesting decision in not protecting one of their top prospects ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. There may have been a reason behind that choice.

As Major League teams around the league figured out which of their top prospects they wanted to add to their 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, the Baltimore Orioles made a surprising decision.

They only had one player of note who was eligible to be part of that draft if they didn’t protect him.

No. 17 prospect in their farm system, Hudson Haskin, could have been added to their 40-man roster ahead of the deadline to avoid having him be potentially selected by another team. Orioles prospect Hudson Haskin filled up the box score in Low-A - Camden Chat

Instead, the Orioles decided not to add him despite having four open spots.

The second round pick from 2020 has shown to be a promising prospect so far, making it to the Triple-A ranks in his third professional season.

However, there might be a reason why Baltimore ultimately decided against this optional protection. Orioles prospect Hudson Haskin filled up the box score in Low-A - Camden Chat

Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com pointed out that during 2023, Haskin only had limited appearances because of two separate injuries