Dodgers 2024 Rule 5 Draft: Full details, roster deadline, players who are eligible

Tucked away amongst all of the other goings-on and buzz at upcoming Winter Meetings is the Rule 5 Draft, which will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 11. In essence, the Rule 5 Draft is in place to try to keep prospects from being hoarded within any one organization without ever seeing major league playing time. Players who were drafted at 18 or younger are eligible after five years, and players who arrived at 19 and older are eligible after four.

Teams can protect prospects by adding them to their 40-man rosters, but those who aren't added are at risk of being taken in the draft. Picks are made in the reverse order of standings, so the Dodgers will choose last after having MLB's best record in 2024 (though they may decline to take anyone at all).

There are caveats: teams that take players have to pay $100,000 to the player's original team and keep that player on the 26-man roster throughout the season or offer him back to the original team at $50,000.

Dodgers 2024 Rule 5 Draft: When is the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster?

The deadline to add players to the 40-man roster is Nov. 19, and the Dodgers currently have 37 players, as they just outrighted Connor Brogdon from the roster to send him back to Triple-A. That's not a ton of wiggle room, but the Dodgers don't have too many players they might be interested in protecting.

Last year, the Dodgers protected top prospects Nick Frasso, Landon Knack, and Hunter Feduccia and lost two unranked players — Carson Taylor and Darlin Pinales. This year, the only ranked prospect who might be vulnerable is No. 24, shortstop Austin Gauthier.

Dodgers 2024 Rule 5 Draft: Which players are eligible?

There's no guarantee that a player who is exposed to the Rule 5 Draft will be taken, and most years, some teams decline to take anyone. However, if a team really wants to hang onto a prospect, it's smarter to be safe. The following Dodgers minor leaguers are Rule 5 eligible.

• Austin Gauthier, SS
• Damon Keith, OF
• Jack Dreyer, LHP
• Antonio Knowles, RHP
• Ben Harris, LHP
• Ryan Sublette, RHP
• Kelvin Ramírez, RHP
• Orlando Ortiz-Mayr, RHP
• Jake Vogel, OF
• Griffin Lockwood-Powell, C
• Michael Hobbs, RHP
• David Tiburcio, RHP
• Gabe Emmett, RHP

The Dodgers do technically have room to protect up to the three of those players, but Gauthier is the one to watch, while the other two spots are more likely to be left open for any free agent signings without needing to do any complicated gaming with the roster.