Washington Nationals Protect Two Intriguing Prospects From Rule 5 Draft
The MLB Rule 5 Draft is right around the corner and teams are making their final moves to protect players from being picked. On Tuesday, the Washington Nationals made a move to protect two intriguing prospects.
Teams have until 6 p.m. EST tonight to add players to their 40-man rosters in order to protect them.
According to a report from Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports, Washington has added both outfielder Robert Hassell III and right-handed pitcher Andry Lara to the 40-man roster. The Nationals later officially announced the move.
Those moves have brought their roster to 38.
Nationals have added OF Robert Hassell III and RHP Andry Lara to the 40-man roster, protecting both from being lost in the Rule 5 Draft. Roster now stands at 38.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) November 19, 2024
MLB.com currently has Hassell ranked as the Nationals' No. 13 prospect, while Lara comes in at No. 17.
At 23 years old, Hassell has shown enough that Washington wants to keep him around. During the 2024 minor league season, he ended up hitting five home runs to go along with 28 RBI in 85 games. In addition to those numbers, he slashed .241/.319/.328.
Hassell is coming off an impressive stint in the Arizona Fall League, where and his fellow Nationals prospects helped Salt River win the AFL crown.
Lara, on the other hand, is just 21 years old. During the 2024 minor league season, he made 25 total starts, compiling an 11-11 record to go along with a 3.34 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, 132 strikeouts, 44 walks, and 134.2 innings pitched.
Both players have shown flashes of big-time potential and keeping them around is a wise decision.
It will be interesting to see what other moves the Nationals choose to make. They have other pieces that they could protect, including infielder Kevin Made.
Expect to hear a lot more news around Major League Baseball throughout the rest of the afternoon. Washington may not be done making moves.
