Guardians Prospect Selected By Atlanta Braves In MLB Rule 5 Draft

The Cleveland Guardians lose infield prospect Christian Cairo to the Atlanta Braves in the 2024 MLB Rule 5 Draft.

Jun 27, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view a Cleveland Guardians hat and glove on the dugout railing before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images / Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

MLB's Rule 5 Draft is one of the most intriguing parts of the sport.

Prospects who signed at age 18 or younger and have yet to be added to their team's 40-man roster within five seasons are eligible to be selected by another organization.

The only caveat is that they stay on the Major League roster for an entire big league season.

The Cleveland Guardians did not make any selections in the Major League phase of the 2024 Rule 5 Draft, but they did lose one of their prospects once it had concluded.

The Atlanta Braves selected INF Christian Cairo in the draft's second round.

Cairo was Cleveland's fourth-round pick in the 2019 June Amateur Draft. The 23-year-old was selected out of Calvary Christian High School.

Cairo started last season with the Akron RubberDucks (Double-A) but was promoted to Columbus (Triple-A) on June 2.

At each level, he recorded mediocre stats and finished the 2024 minor league season with a .241/.354/.326 slash line and a .680 OPS. He hit just four home runs and nine doubles and drove in 39 RBI.

An Akron RubberDucks players ball cap and glove rest on the field before a game. / Mike Cardew / USA TODAY NETWORK

Atlanta's selection of Cairo is interesting when looking at their current major league infield depth chart.

Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley are each locked to be in the Opening Day infield (barring an injury). However, shortstop is an area that could be looking to make a change.

Orlando Arcia has been fine there, but the Braves clearly see something in the former Cleveland prospect.

Cairo will likely see a lot of playing time with the Braves during Spring Training to see if he's worth keeping on the roster.

From there, Atlanta will either hold on to him or they'll send him back to the Guardians organization if their experimenter doesn't pan out.