Last week, was the final opportunity to protect MILB players from the Rule 5 Draft, and the Braves chose to protect Drew Waters, Freddy Tarnok, Brooks Wilson, William Woods by adding them to the 40-Man roster. For those not in the know, MILB players can only stay MILB players for a specific amount of time (varies according to circumstance), then the parent club has to add them to the 40-Man roster or risk losing them in a draft that aids players in getting shots with other teams. When drafted in the Rule 5 draft, said player has to be added to the active roster, not just the 40-man, which is a HUGE deal for said player. If the player is drafted in the Rule 5 and the club that drafted said player removes him from the roster, they have to offer the player back to the original club and/or pay an allotted amount to keep the player.
The most recent example of a player that was drafted by the Braves and worked out was Dan Winkler who threw 100.1 innings of 3.68 ERA baseball.
Significant Braves MILBers Left Exposed and Chances of Getting Grabbed
For the first time in years, I believe that the Braves will lose someone in the Rule 5 Draft. There’s just a lot to like for desperate teams. From fringe starting pitchers, to injury prone great arms, to speedy bench players, the Braves have something for everyone.
- Thomas Burrows– Had a good year at AAA with great K-rates and terrible BB-rates. I think the former closer at Alabama University has a 15% chance of getting grabbed.
- Daysbel Hernandez– Once a heralded arm in the system, now bypassed by many, there’s real potential here. ERA doesn’t say it, but he had a better year than Burrows. He’s pitching well in the Mexican Leagues, too. I’ll say he’s got a 30% chance of getting grabbed.
- Troy Bacon– 4th round draft pick back in 2017, Bacon hasn’t lived up to the expectations of his last name. Carried a good ERA at AA, but nothing really wowing about his stuff this year. I’d give Troy 10% to get grabbed.
- Corbin Clouse– Probably the most interesting arm on this list, and if it were the time when lefties could be specialists, Clouse might’ve been an early pick. Now, he’s been injury prone and only pitched 21.2 innings last year…but they were good. Oftentimes, teams will take a gamble with injury proned players in the Rule 5 because they can be removed from the 40-man should they actually have a real injury. I’ll give Corbin 35% to get grabbed.
- Justin Dean– If teams are looking for a Terrance Gore type player to fill out their roster, Dean could be that guy. He’s fast but can also hit a bit and provide really good defense all around the diamond. I’ll give Dean 25% to get grabbed.
- Trey Harris– Trey is my BOY. I love his game and I think he has big league potential. However, 2021 was not kind to him and I think there’s little chance that anyone grabs him. If he rebounds, next year would be a different story. I’ll go 10%.
- Jake Higginbotham– When healthy, he’s right up there with Clouse. Unfortunately, that’s been hard for Jake. Still, he’s someone that could slide to the 60-day IL and be stored for a better time. I’ll give Jake 15%.
- Greyson Jenista– It’s hard to break an .800 OPS when playing in the most pitcher friendly park in organized baseball, but Jenista did just that. Still, it was AA and he’s a LF/1B type, so I’m not sure that makes him very attractive in the Rule 5 Draft. Like Harris, I like his chances next year if he can duplicate at AAA. I’ll go 10%.
- Drew Lugbauer– Seemingly almost out of pro baseball then BAM! SLUGbauer returned and made us forget about Bryce Ball. He’s destroying the AFL right now and had a big power year at AA, but like Jenista, he’s a real gamble. Every team has a Lugbauer in their system. I’ll go 10%.
- Brandon S. White- A good year at AA but hardly has the stuff that other candidates have on here. Word on the street is he was drafted by accident and that’s quite funny considering he’s been a pretty productive MILB player. I’ll go 5%.
My Personal Prediction
Hey! I nailed the Braves 40-man roster additions, but this is like throwing darts blindfolded after shooting 5 Beams. I think the Braves lose two from this group and my predictions are Corbin Clouse and Justin Dean.
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Thanks for reading my stuff! If you like this kind of stuff, check this piece out on the Braves 40-man roster.
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