With MLB team owners imposing a lockout immediately after the collective bargaining agreement expired, it cancelled this year’s Winter Meetings and the Major League portion of the 2021 Rule 5 Draft.
However, the Minor League portion of the Draft is proceeding as planned — albeit one day earlier rather than on Thursday for what would have been the conclusion of the Winter Meetings.
In the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft, players not on a 40-man roster, plus who were signed at age 19 or older and have been in professional baseball for four years were eligible to be selected.
For the Minor League phase, players not protected on a 38-man Triple-A roster from the aforementioned group are also eligible to be taken. Teams with a full 38-man Triple-A roster are not permitted to make any picks.
Each player taken in the Minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft requires a $24,500 payment to be made to the original team. That’s compared to $100,000 for selections made in the Major League phase.
Another key difference between the two phases is those taken during the Minor League rounds do not need to remain on a team’s 26-man roster or be offered back to the original club for $50,000 if attempting to clear them through waivers.
Dodgers’ Rule 5 Draft pick protection
Although a lockout was looming, teams still were required to protect eligible players in the event a Rule 5 Draft went ahead as planned.
The Dodgers added Jacob Amaya, Jorbit Vivas, Eddys Leonard, Michael Grove and James Outman to their 40-man roster. Billy McKinney and Zach Reks were designated for assignment, and later traded to the Texas Rangers.
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