Which Diamondbacks Players Are Available in Rule 5 Draft?

There's plenty of big-name prospects about to be available in the Rule 5 Draft for the Diamondbacks, find out who below

Arizona Diamondbacks A.J. Vukovich during photo day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Feb. 21, 2024. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

November 19 is the date in which the Arizona Diamondbacks must decide who to protect from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft and add to their 40-man roster. That means from the list of available players below, the D-backs have to choose who they absolutely do not want to lose.

Last year, they let prized prospect Deyvison De Los Santos be exposed and he was selected by the Cleveland Guardians who later returned him to Arizona after he didn't make their roster.

MLB.com explains who is available to be picked in the Rule 5 Draft, "Players first signed at age 18 or younger must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process. Players signed at 19 years or older have to be protected within four seasons."

In order to select a player, MLB teams must pay $100,000 and if they decide to later waive the player, they must offer him to his former team for $50,000. Each player selected must stay on the team's active roster the whole season or face returning him to his former team.

This year, the players available are players signed in 2020 at age 18 or younger or 19 year olds or older taken in the 2021 MLB Draft. Below lists the players by position.

Catcher: No.30 Prospect Caleb Roberts, No.29 Prospect Christian Cerda, JJ D'Orazio, Moises Alcala, Diosfran Cabeza

None of these players are likely to be taken or protected, but Roberts would be the most likeliest to be taken.

First Base: Tristin English

Already 27 years old, he isn't going to be taken in the Rule 5 Draft.

Second Base: Jean Walters

Walters doesn't have the pedigree or stats so he will safely stay with the organization.

Third Base: Jesus Valdez

Had an average season at Triple-A and is close to 27 years old, he will be staying in Triple-A.

Shortstop: Juan Corniel

Stuck in High-A, he's unlikely to be taken.

Outfield: No.31 Prospect A.J. Vukovich, Junior Franco, Angel Ortiz, Kristian Robinson

Vukovich is at risk at being taken. He's a former top prospect that's reached Triple-A and has had success in past along with being able to play outfield. It's 50-50 on if he's taken. The rest will not be taken.

Starting Pitchers: Jamison Hill, No.36 Prospect Joe Elbis, Avery Short, Denny Larrondo, Yoscar Pimental

Elbis is at risk of being taken as he's shown plenty of potential in the minor leagues, is young at 22 years old, and is already at Double-A. He's the most likeliest of an unlikely bunch to be taken.

Relievers: Austin Pope, Mitchell Stumpo, Taylor Rashi, Kyle Backhus, Jake Rice, Conor Grammes, Luke Albright, Jhosmer Alvarez, Hugh Fisher, Listher Sosa, Teofilo Mendez, Liam Norris, Edgar Isea

Pope, Backhus, and Rice are the favorites to get taken. Relievers are often the ones taken in the Rule 5 Draft. Those three would be the most likeliest D-backs to get taken in the draft. Stumpo, Rashi, and Grammes have shown potential but are unlikely to get taken. The rest just haven't reached a high enough level with enough stats to entice teams to take them.

In all likelihood, the chance of more than one Arizona Diamondbacks prospect being taken in the Rule 5 Draft are small. There's only five or so players with a realistic shot at being taken and Vukovich is perhaps the most likely of them all. It's possible that more are taken, but unlikely.

And as a reminder, any of the above players could be added to the 40-man roster on Monday, thus protecting them from the draft altogether.

The Rule 5 Draft takes place on Wednesday, December 11 on the final day of the Winter Meetings in Dallas. Arizona Diamondbacks ON SI will have all the coverage and information you need about who is protected from the Rule 5 Draft and who is taken and who the D-backs select if anyone in the Draft.

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