The Los Angeles Dodgers were one of the more active teams in baseball this past offseason once it was all said and done, most notably signing reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer to a record-setting contract.
The club also retained two of its most important free agents in Blake Treinen and Justin Turner. In terms of subtractions, L.A. saw Kiké Hernandez and Joc Pederson depart for bigger roles with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, respectively.
On the Minor League side, the Dodgers lost a pair of prospects in Brett de Geus and Jordan Sheffield during the Major League portion of the 2020 Rule 5 Draft.
They were left unprotected after the club opted to add only Gerardo Carrillo, Andre Jackson, Edwin Uceta and Zach Reks to their 40-man roster.
The Texas Rangers wound up selecting de Geus, while the Colorado Rockies nabbed Sheffield. Both players made their respective teams’ Opening Day roster, meaning they do not have to be returned to the Dodgers.
If at any point this season de Geus or Sheffield are removed from the active roster, they must be offered back to the Dodgers. In that scenario, L.A. would not be required to add them to their 40-man roster.
de Geus enjoyed a solid spring with the Rangers, posting a 3.68 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in seven appearances. He made his MLB debut in the club’s Opening Day loss to the Oakland Athletics, allowing three runs over one inning pitched.
Sheffield was less impressive in Spring Training but still earned a spot on the Rockies’ Opening Day roster. He pitched to a 6.75 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with nine strikeouts against six walks across eight innings of work (eight games).
Sheffield did not appear in the Rockies’ Opening Day victory over the Dodgers, but it is conceivable he will get into at least one contest before the four-game series concludes Sunday.
Recent Rule 5 Draft picks returned to Dodgers
While de Geus and Sheffield appear to have carved roles with their new teams for the time being, it isn’t uncommon for prospects to be returned to their original organization.
In 2019, the Dodgers received back Drew Jackson and Connor Joe from the Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants, respectively.
Jackson is now part of the New York Mets organization and Joe finds himself with the Rockies.
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