Guardians’ Prospects: Who Will They Shield in MLB Rule 5 Draft?
The Cleveland Guardians are preparing for the upcoming Major League Baseball (MLB) Rule 5 Draft scheduled for December 10. This event is pivotal as teams must finalize their 40-man rosters by the deadline of 6 p.m. on December 5.
Guardians’ Roster Decisions Ahead of Rule 5 Draft
Currently, the Guardians have three openings on their 40-man roster. They must decide which players to protect before the draft occurs. Several players are eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft, including:
- Angel Genao
- Wuilfredo Antunez
- Kahil Watson
- Kody Huff
- Milan Tolentino
- Yorman Gomez
- Dylan DeLucia
- Austin Peterson
- Trenton Denholm
- Ryan Webb
- Steve Perez
Eligibility Rules and Player Performance
The eligibility criteria for the Rule 5 Draft specify that players signed at age 18 or younger must be added to their team’s 40-man roster within five seasons. For those signed at 19 or older, the deadline is four seasons. Additionally, the Guardians recently re-signed Steve Perez and Wuilfredo Antunez after both players became minor league free agents. They will be part of the team’s spring training in February.
Antunez has showcased impressive performance in the past season, hitting .275 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs across Class A Lake County and Double-A Akron. Meanwhile, Perez, a promising left-handed pitcher, recorded a 1.83 ERA over 69 innings, striking out 70 batters.
Among the players eligible for protection, three are highly regarded in the organization:
- Angel Genao (Ranked No. 3) – .263 batting average, 5 homers, 42 RBIs
- Kahil Watson (Ranked No. 18) – .250 batting average, 16 homers, 61 RBIs
- Austin Peterson (Ranked No. 30) – 8 wins, 3.21 ERA, 127 strikeouts
Milan Tolentino, although unranked, also had a noteworthy season, hitting .216 with 21 home runs and 66 RBIs at Triple-A Columbus.
Understanding the Draft Process
During the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft, teams can select unprotected players for $100,000. The selected players must remain in the major leagues for at least 90 days. If they do not meet this requirement, the selected player must be returned to their original team, which receives $50,000 in compensation.
Additionally, the Guardians face a significant deadline on Friday, as they must make decisions on unsigned players for the 2026 season. The following players are eligible for arbitration along with their projected salaries according to MLB Trade Rumors:
- Sam Hentges – $1.34 million
- Steven Kwan – $8.8 million
- Nolan Jones – $2 million
- Will Brennan – $900,000
- David Fry – $1.2 million
- Matt Festa – $1 million
