Pair Of Red Sox Top Prospects Added To 40-Man Roster To Avoid Rule 5 Draft Selection

Some roster movement as the December shakeup approaches...

Feb 18, 2019; Lee County, FL, USA; A general view of a Boston Red Sox helmet as Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (19) walks on the field during a spring training workout at Jet Blue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The Major League Baseball offseason comes with several key milestones, and the Rule 5 Draft is one of them.

In December, players who have been with their organizations for at least four years (if signed when they were over 18) or five years (if signed at 18 or younger) and have not been added to the 40-man roster will be eligible for selection by the other 29 organizations. The deadline to protect players from the draft by adding them to the roster was Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.

The Boston Red Sox made a series of key moves surrounding the deadline. They added two ascending prospects to the 40-man roster to protect them from selection, and in exchange, they designated two right-handed pitchers for assignment.

The two new additions to the Red Sox 40-man roster are right-handed pitcher Hunter Dobbins and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia. Dobbins is the Red Sox's No. 21 prospect, per MLB.com, and Garcia ranks No. 12.

On the flip side, the Red Sox let go of right-handed pitchers Isaiah Campbell and Bryan Mata, both of whom spent most of the 2024 season on the injured list.

Dobbins, 25, was named the Red Sox's minor-league pitcher of the year in 2024, compiling an 8-5 record, 3.08 ERA, and 120 strikeouts over 25 starts. He briefly made his way to Triple-A at the end of the season and could be a factor at the back end of the big-league rotation at some point next year.

Garcia, 21, burst onto the scene this season by earning himself a pair of promotions, moving from Low-A to Double-A thanks to his propensity for crushing baseballs. He posted a .286/.356/.536 slash line with 24 doubles, five triples, and 23 home runs in 107 games.

The Venezuelan-born outfielder also owns the distinction of having the coolest nickname in all of baseball at the moment: "The Password."

While it's always difficult to let players go, Boston clearly sees more upside to protecting Dobbins and Garcia, both of whom could be impact contributors for the big-league club shortly, than hanging onto Campbell or Mata. The Rule 5 Draft will take place on Dec. 11.

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