Two weeks ago, all 30 teams made decisions on which prospects to protect on their 40-man rosters. Trades can obviously be made to take up, or free up, space so teams can decide how active they want to be in this year’s Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft, taking place on Dec. 6 at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn.
- MLB Pipeline | Top 100 prospects | Prospect video
While all clubs hope they made the right choices on who to protect, there are undoubtedly future big leaguers who are available, and will be selected, in this year’s Rule 5. Last year, teams selected 14 players in the Major League phase, and eight of those players saw big league time in 2023. Every team has at least one intriguing option the other 29 organizations might consider selecting, and we’ve picked one potential selection for each team below.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Blue Jays: CJ Van Eyk, RHP (unranked on Blue Jays Top 30)
Taken in the second round of the 2020 Draft out of Florida State, Van Eyk missed the entire 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery, and further complications limited him to 34 2/3 innings during the regular season. He made up for some of the lost time in the Arizona Fall League, and while that wasn’t enough to get him a 40-man spot with Toronto, it was notable he posted a 2.51 ERA and .196 opponent average with 14 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings in the hitter-friendly circuit. Armed with a 92-94 mph heater, newfound sinker and full slate of offspeed pitches, Van Eyk could generate some interest now that he’s healthy.
Orioles: Hudson Haskin, OF (No. 17)
Haskin has shown glimpses of his power-speed combination since the Orioles took him in the second round of the 2020 Draft out of Tulane, but he’s had trouble staying healthy. He managed to play only 33 games in 2023 because of a hamstring injury and then a hip impingement that required surgery. His plus speed and ability to play all three outfield spots could have value to other teams.
