Do the Dodgers have any Rule 5-eligible prospects worth saving this offseason?

The Los Angeles Dodgers' offseason headlines will be about Tarik Skubal, but one of their most important decisions will likely come before any major deals are done. By November 18, Los Angeles has to decide which minor leaguers to add to the 40-man roster and protect from the Rule 5 Draft.

If you're not familiar with how it all works (most players in pro ball don't either), players who signed at 18 or younger become eligible after five pro seasons, while college signees become eligible after four. Any eligible player who isn't on the 40-man can be selected by another team in December, but that team has to keep him on its big-league roster (and pays $100,000) all season or offer him back.

This year's version comes with a twist. The collective bargaining agreement expires December 1, and if a lockout follows, any player added to the 40-man can't work out with the organization or use team facilities until it ends, while players left off can keep training and report to minor league camp as usual.

The draft itself could even be scrapped, as the major league phase was during the 2021 lockout, which will likely throw a bit of a wrinkle in the decision making process. Overall, based on some of the long-term position players under contract and some of their pitcher’s prospect status’, I’d expect them to lean towards pitching depth.

The Dodgers prospects most likely to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft

Christian Zazueta, RHP

The Dodgers got Zazueta from the New York Yankees in the Caleb Ferguson trade, and he has since become the organization's top pitching prospect. Working entirely as a starter between High-A and Double-A, he posted a 3.65 ERA with 144 strikeouts in 103⅔ innings, is pretty much a slam-dunk to be added to the roster. Depending on how his development goes in 2027, since he will be on the 40-man roster already, don't be surprised if he makes a cameo with the big league team at some point.

Jackson Ferris, LHP

Ferris came over with Zyhir Hope in the Michael Busch deal, and his Triple-A season was a roller coaster, with a 5.12 ERA over 109 innings as a starter. But his velocity jumped late in the season, he led the Pacific Coast League with 119 strikeouts, and he finished with five straight starts allowing one run or fewer. A lefty with that stuff and upside is something you add to your 40-man, not let walk for $100k.

Adam Serwinowski, LHP

Acquired in the first Hunter Feduccia trade, Serwinowski made 25 starts for Double-A Tulsa, led the staff in innings and topped the Texas League with 146 strikeouts. With Alex Vesia, Kris Bubic, and Eric Lauer all hitting free agency, and his fastball grading as one of the best in the entire system, he's hard to leave exposed.

Hyun-Seok Jang, RHP

The Dodgers gave Jang a $900,000 bonus out of a Korean high school in 2023, and at 22, he's already piled up 230 strikeouts in 158⅔ career innings. His 2026 numbers at High-A were uneven, a 5.42 ERA over 81⅓ innings in 20 outings (18 starts), but an upper-90s fastball and a deep mix of breaking balls is exactly what the Dodgers would love to keep developing and another club may gamble on.

Patrick Copen, RHP

Copen lost the vision in his right eye after taking a line drive to the face in 2024, and he's still pitching. His 5.90 ERA over 116 innings (23 starts) at Tulsa won't jump off the page, but Baseball America's Stuff+ model ranked his curveball third-best in the minors and his cutter among the top five. He may not get protected, but another team could easily see a high-leverage reliever built around those pitches.

Glove-first shortstop Noah Miller, Double-A slugger Jake Gelof (who hit 34 homers at Tulsa), lefty Luke Fox and righty Tyler Gough are other names that could be protected or picked, depending on how scouts see them. With the Dodgers sitting at roughly 37 players on the 40-man, there's room for three or four of these names (unless Friedman does some more roster shifting before the 18th). So if you see any of them added to the 40-man roster in November, now you know why.

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