Angels Add RHP Jack Kochanowicz to 40-Man Roster Ahead of Rule 5 Deadline

A young arm!

The Angels protected RHP Jack Kochanowicz from the Rule 5 Draft by adding him to the 40-man roster. The transaction actually came one day before the deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft which is set for December 6.

The #Angels have selected the contract of RHP Jack Kochanowicz.

The 40-man roster now stands at 39 players.

— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) November 13, 2023

The Rule 5 Draft allows teams with open 40-man roster slots to draft certain non-40-man players from the farm system of other teams. From MLB.com, players signed at age 18 or younger need to be added to their club's 40-Man roster within five seasons or they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Players who signed at age 19 or older need to be protected within four seasons.

The drafting club would need to keep the player on their active roster or MLB injured list for one full season to retain ownership of the player. If the club attempts to option or designate that player for assignment, the player must be offered back to his original ballclub.

By adding Kochanowicz to the 40-man roster, the Angels made him ineligible for this draft.

The Halos drafted Kochanowicz out of high school in the third round of the 2019 MLB draft. He offers a mid-90s fastball, a mid-80s changeup, and a low 80s sweeper. Standing at a towering 6'7", his extension allows all of these pitches to play up to a higher perceived speed.

His time in the minors has been mixed. He has spent most of his time in A ball, but last year made a breakthrough posting a 1.52 in high A. This led to his promotion to AA where he threw 70.1 innings with a 6.53 ERA. At just 22 years old he has plenty of time to develop, and he will need to if he wants to make an impact with the big club.

The protection of the Angels' ninth-ranked prospect should not be surprising. After a disappointing end to the 2023 season, the club looks to get younger. 

The team needs young, controllable starting pitching if they want to compete in the AL West in the coming years. Jack Kochanowicz appears to play an important role in that plan.