Who Will the A's Protect Ahead of the Rule 5 Draft?

Matthew Kalinowski | Nov 3, 2024

Jul 17, 2023; Oakland, California, USA; General view of the Oakland Athletics cap and glove during the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images / Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

The A's will have some decisions to make regarding who they want to protect ahead of the Rule 5 Draft.

Currently, they have eight open spots on the 40-man roster. More moves are most likely on the way so that number could open up to around ten. The Athletics will certainly plan to add players either through free agency or trade, meaning they will probably only protect three or four players to leave space for those inevitable moves.

The Athletics have over a dozen players eligible for the Rule 5 Draft; some of those players are in the lower levels of the minors, so they are not a concern since players that are selected in the big-league portion of the Draft have to stay on the selecting team's 26-man roster the entire season. However, out of all the players the A's have sent to the Arizona Fall League, four are eligible to be protected.

The rest of the players that are at risk are in Double-A or Triple-A, making them options to be protected as well. With that being said, here are the players the A's must protect this winter.

1. Denzel Clarke | OF | Age: 24

The Athletics No. 10 prospect, Denzel Clarke, is the number one player they must protect ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. This past season, Clarke played in 116 games for Double-A Midland and hit .269 with 13 home runs, 21 doubles, and 36 stolen bases, resulting in a .784 OPS.

Clarke has put on a show so far in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .392 with four extra-base hits and a 1.057 OPS. He has displayed a good glove in the outfield as well, showing a true feel for all the outfield spots, but mainly center field.

2. Gunnar Hoglund | RHP | Age: 24

Gunnar Hoglund was the main part of the Matt Chapman trade that sent the Gold Glover to the Toronto Blue Jays. Hoglund has struggled to stay healthy since entering the A's system, but this past season finally showed why the Blue Jays drafted him 19th overall.

Hoglund pitched a little over 130 innings this past season, which is a little more than double what he had pitched in 2023. The A's shut him down the last month of the season in an attempt to save him from potentially getting hurt again, as his velocity was coming down in his final few outings. Hoglund posted a 3.44 ERA across Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas with 119 strikeouts.

Hoglund may get his call-up to the big leagues this upcoming season, making him another player the A's must protect this winter.

3. Blake Beers | RHP | Age: 26

Blake Beers could be a candidate to make the Opening Day roster, barring how he performs in Spring Training. For that to happen, the A's will need to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.

Beers had the best year of his career this past season, pitching almost 150 innings across Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas. Beers was one of the best pitchers, if not the best, in the Texas League during his time with Double-A Midland. He struggled to transition to the Triple-A level, but he only pitched 20 innings.

Overall on the season, Beers posted a 3.91 ERA with 139 strikeouts and showed why he has a future with the big league club after struggling in years prior. Beers is a player that may not need to be protected, depending on the interest from other clubs, but he may have performed well enough that the A's will protect him regardless.

4. Cooper Bowman | 2B/CF | Age: 24

Cooper Bowman is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, but he may not need to be protected. Bowman was a part of the return for Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino, and he finally reached Triple-A just this past season. He played in 38 Triple-A games but struggled, hitting .218 with zero home runs.

Bowman had only played second base until his promotion to Triple-A, where they started to see how he fit in center field. With Bowman experimenting where he may profile defensively long-term and struggling at the plate in his only Triple-A action this past season, he might not be on other team's radars come the Rule 5 Draft. This could save the A's a 40-man roster spot, as they would not need to protect him. That said, his calling card is his speed/power combo that produced a combined 12 homers and 43 stolen bases in 2024.

It will be interesting to see how many players, and which players, the A's decide to protect ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. Outside of the two protections the A's must make, the rest is up in the air. Another potential player worth protecting could also be Ryan Cusick, who was part of the Matt Olson return from Atlanta. Depending on how much more room they make on the 40-man roster, if any, that could be a clue as to how many players they may end up protecting.