Dodgers did their Rule 5 housecleaning, but they could still lose 2 top prospects

The Dodgers have a whole crop of prospects eligible for the Rule 5 draft on Dec. 10, but only a few more hours to add any of them to the 40-man roster to prevent them from being taken by another team (the deadline is Nov. 18 at 3 PM PST).

Last year, the Dodgers opted to protect just one Rule 5-eligible player, Jack Dreyer, which turned out to be a savvy move on their part. Dreyer finished the season with a 2.95 ERA over 76 1/3 innings and was getting some Rookie of the Year buzz at the beginning of the season. Dreyer was unranked at the time of his protection.

LA followed suit this year, adding unranked prospect (but 2025 PCL MVP) Ryan Ward on Nov. 3. With over 40 more Rule 5-eligible players and only two spots still open on the 40-man roster, they could opt to add righty pitcher Peter Huebeck and shortstop Noah Miller, their only ranked prospects vulnerable to the draft (Huebeck at No. 23, Miller at 25).

However, there is precedent for the Dodgers deciding to take their chances this year. In 2024, they declined to add No. 24 prospect Austin Gauthier and stuck with Dreyer (Gauthier went unclaimed in the draft and fell out of the top 30 this season).

Dodgers still have room to add two top prospects ahead of Rule 5 draft deadline, but they probably won't

It makes sense that the Dodgers would want to keep two spots open this early in the offseason. If the Dodgers end up wanting to sign a player onto a full roster, the Rule 5 protectees would be the first out the door, and then LA would risk losing them to the waiver wire anyway.

Huebeck and Miller are both expected to be major league-ready by 2026; Huebeck just finished up a season in Double-A, and Miller in Triple-A. If we had to guess, we'd say Huebeck has a better chance of being protected, given the Dodgers' bullpen issues and the fact that pitchers are more likely to be taken in the draft, but even still, the odds appear slim.

If either ends up taken in the draft, there's still a chance they could end up back in the Dodgers organization anyway. Buying teams have to be pretty sure that they'll be able to make use of a prospect immediately, as claimed players are immediately added to a club's 26-man roster and have to be outrighted to be removed. If that happens, they're offered back to the player's initial club.

There are some players who have turned out to be serviceable after being taken in the Rule 5 draft, but they're few and far between. The Dodgers are likely to take their chances.