Inside the Astros

Houston Astros Gain Five Players, Lose None During 2024 Rule 5 Draft

The Houston Astros came away with a haul of players during the 2024 Rule 5 Draft.

Brad Wakai

A detailed view of the hat and glove
A detailed view of the hat and glove / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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The Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings marks the end to a busy period of the offseason, and the Houston Astros were able to come away with a haul.

There is always a risk during this selection process since teams can lose some of their players who are on the verge of being Major League ready. If there isn't enough space for them on the 40-man roster to be protected if they are eligible for this draft, then they could end up with another club.

Good front offices around the league are able to take advantage of this by finding talented players they can bring into their organization.

The Astros did exactly that.

As team insider Brian McTaggart points out, Houston did not lose a single one of their players.

Instead, they were able to add five intriguing options in the minor league phase of this Rule 5 Draft, meaning they don't have to be added to their 40-man roster this year and can continue to develop as part of the Astros' pipeline.

Pitchers were a clear target.

Houston selected four of them, all of whom reached the Double-A level this past season and could be in the mix for a Major League debut at some point in 2025 or the following year.

It's very rare that the players taken in the Rule 5 Draft are any of franchise's top prospects since they are normally protected to not be selected as part of this process, but that doesn't mean teams can't find some diamonds in the rough.

That's what the Astros are hoping for with this haul.

It will take some time to see if any of these picks turn into impact players for Houston, but by bringing in five and losing none, that was a nice way for Houston to bolster their farm system.

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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently covers the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros for Sports Illustrated/FanNation. He is also the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai

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