JFA - The Mets 2025 Rule 5 Draft

Re-printed by permission from MetsNewsLinks.com

The Major League Baseball Rule 5 Draft is scheduled this year for Thursday, December 11th - the last day of the Winter Meetings.  Mets have until November 18th to add players to the 40 Man Roster to protect them from the draft.

The full list of Mets 2025 Rule 5 eligibles are below.  Here are some of the more interesting ones:

OF Nick Morabito.  Coming off a great stint in the Arizona Fall League, Nick has a good chance of being added to the 40-man roster to stay out of the draft.  In Arizona Nick hit .362/.450/.464, 25 hits, 17 runs and 16 stolen bases in 17 games.  It seemed like every time up he was beating out a grounder for an infield single, then stealing 2nd and later scoring.  Beating out ground balls gave Nick an insane .453 Batting Average Balls in Play.  Granted, it is a small sample size but he has had high BABIP numbers in the past - .390 in 119 games for Brooklyn and St. Lucie in 2024.

2022 1st Round Draft pick, Catcher Kevin Parada, is no longer a top ten Mets Prospect.  He slashed .245/.319/.407 with 11 homers and 57 RBIs while splitting time between Syracuse and Binghamton.  On the Syracuse roster, he'd have to be added to a team's 40 man roster if selected.

RHP Saul Garcia went 5-2 with a 1.70 ERA for Brooklyn and Binghamton in 2025,  He had 76 Ks in 47.2 innings.  In September, Baseball America had him on their list of 10 best performing fastballs in 2025. They noted: "Pitching from a lower release height, Garcia sits 94-96 mph with more than 2500 rpm of spin on average."  If he doesn't get added to the 40-Man or the Syracuse Roster to keep him out of the minor league portion, there is a good chance he will be selected.

Calvin Ziegler: Was another former top ten prospect in 2023 but after just two games with Brooklyn in 2024, needed Tommy John surgery.  He missed all of 2025.  

In addition, players not added to the 38-Man AAA Roster will be eligible for the minor league portion of the draft.  

Here is the full list of eligible Rule 5 players:

Pitchers: Luis Alvarez; Eli Ankeney; Juan Arnaud; Felipe De La Cruz; Jorge De Leon; Joel Díaz; Estarlin Escalante; Saul Garcia; Jordan Geber; Cristofer Gomez; Joe Jacques; Wilson Lopez; Gregori Louis; Trey McLoughlin; Estarling Mercado; Nate Lavender, Douglas Orellana; Layonel Ovalles; Luis R. Rodriguez; Jorge Rodriguez; TJ Shook; Dylan Tebrake; Zebulon Vermillion; Calvin Ziegler;

Catchers: José Aular; Ronald Hernandez; Kevin Parada; Vincent Perozo;  

Infielders: Jefrey De Los Santos; Diego Mosquera; JT Schwartz; D'Andre Smith; Kevin Villavicencio; Wyatt Young;

 

Outfielders: Yohairo Cuevas; Nick Morabito; Matt Rudick;

All the recently signed minor league free agents will also be eligible such as Joe Jacques; Jose Rojas, Jackson Cluff, Joander Suarez, Jefry Yan, Carlos Guzman, Brian Metoyer and Onix Vega.  Since they are all currently on the Syracuse Mets Roster, they will need be added to an MLB Roster if drafted.

Paul Articulates – The 2024 Rule 5 draft

The MLB Winter Meetings usually conclude with the Rule 5 draft – a unique opportunity for teams to “poach” players from other teams that are left unprotected.  That “poaching” does not come without a cost – first you have to pay the team $100k for the player and second (for MLB Rule 5) you have to put the player on your MLB roster and keep him there or else you have to give him back.  

Risks are taken on both sides of the Rule 5 draft for those that choose to participate in this optional event.  For the MLB rule 5 draft, teams are allowed to “protect” players by placing them on their 40-man roster so they cannot be selected.  If a team leaves a player unprotected, they risk losing that player from their system.  On the other hand, you risk not only the $100k to select a player but also give up some roster flexibility by keeping that player when the performance is not quite what you expected.

There are plenty more rules for eligibility, so don’t assume that it is just open season on MLB teams’ development systems.  Players eligible need to have been in the system for awhile.  If you want the full set of rules, you can reference the MLB Rule 5 glossary.  Otherwise, let’s dive in to the results.

The Mets went into the Rule 5 draft with quite a bit of risk, as they left seven open spots on their 40-man roster.  This means that they could have protected more players but chose not to.  One could speculate that they felt there was enough depth to afford losing a couple of players or that they didn’t have enough depth so allow some to clear out to make room for other promotions.  Either way, the team protected players like Ronny Mauricio, LuisAngel Acuna, Christian Scott, and … but left unprotected several other players like Mike Vasil, Nate Lavender, and Dominic Hamel.  Note that prospects like Jett Williams, Drew Gilbert, and Ryan Clifford are not on the MLB 40-man roster but were ineligible for the Rule 5 draft because they remain within the five season restriction.

During the MLB rule 5 draft, the Mets lost two very noteworthy players that were not protected:

LHP Nate Lavender (AAA Syracuse) was taken by Tampa Bay with the 8th selection.  Ouch!  Lavender was well thought of, especially by the writers on Mack’s team.  Lavender was a lefty reliever credited with a very deceptive delivery who had fanned 174 batters in 115.2 innings across the minor league system from the Florida Coast League all the way to AAA Syracuse.  Lavender was injured in April this year and spent the season on the injured list after having pitched in just 5 games.  He had surgery in May to add an internal brace added to his elbow ligament which is a variant of the famous Tommy John surgery.  He may not have been back for spring training 2025, but now he will not be back at all.

Mike Vasil (AAA Syracuse) was taken by Philadelphia with the 14th selection.  This one stings a bit, but does not get a full “ouch”.  Vasil was very highly touted early after being taken by the Mets in the 8th round of the 2021 draft.  He excelled in the front end of his career and was very effective through the AA level but stalled this year in AAA.  He pitched to a 6.04 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 2024 with Syracuse.  One could blame the robo-umps in the international league for last year’s performance but now we will never know what he “could have been”.

Another noteworthy item from the draft is who was not protected but also not selected.  Dominic Hamel was exposed during the draft and had even been cited as one of the players of interest that were not selected among MLB teams.  No one grabbed him, so he remains in the Mets' organization with hopefully a promising career in front of him.

Mets took a chance on one player yesterday.

RHP Michael Hobbs was selected by the Mets with the 20th pick from the Dodgers’ AA farm club.  Hobbs was selected in the 10th round of the 2021 draft by the Dodgers, who have a very respected scouting system.  Hobbs has spent four years in the Dodgers’ system, and performed well in 2024 at their AA affiliate in Tulsa, going 2-1 with a 2.97 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP in 58.2 innings.  Per the requirements of the Rule 5 draft, Hobbs will be placed directly on the Mets’ MLB 26-man roster and start the season there.  He can only be removed from that roster by being placed on waivers and offered back to the Dodgers for $50k.

In the subsequent minor league rule 5 draft, the Mets also lost six other players – four pitchers and two position players.

RHP Hobie Harris was selected #12 in the MiLB process by the Boston Red Sox.  Harris was a 2015 Yankees draft pick who was just signed in November by the Mets as a minor league free agent after bouncing around among a few teams.  After an inactive month, he is off to another team.

INF Junior Tilien was selected #18 by the Detroit Tigers.  Tilien was an international signee by the Mets in 2021 from the Dominican Republic.  He worked his way up through the Mets minor league system and spent the last year and a half in Brooklyn with the Mets’ high A club.  In 2024 Tilien had a steady, but unspectacular .232/.305/.365 slash line.

C Drake Osborn was selected #21 by the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Drake split last year between the Brooklyn Cyclones and the AA Binghamton Rumble Ponies.  He recorded a .677 OPS over 78 games between the two clubs.  Osborn was primarily the backup to the more well-known Kevin Parada in Binghamton and was left available in this catcher-heavy system.

RHP Nolan Clenney was picked by the Cubs in the #39 slot.  Clenney had spent most of his time with the AA Rumble Ponies over the last two years.  He was a 2023 Arizona Fall League participant but has not been able to get his ERA below the 5.00 level since moving to AA ball.

RHP Landon Marceaux was selected #41 by the Kansas City Royals.  Marceaux was a 2021 third round pick by the Angels that came over to the Mets in the 2023 trade that sent Eduardo Escobar to the Angles.  Marceaux spent quite a bit of the last two years on the injured list after 18 starts and a 5.50 ERA in 2023.

Jawilme Ramierez was selected #51 by the St. Louis Cardinals.  Ramierez was a 2021 international signee out of the Dominican Republic.  He compiled a 3.40 ERA over 81 games in the Mets minor league system and was nominated to play for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League in 2024.

In summary, the Rule 5 draft saw much more outflow from the Mets’ organization than inflow.  This may be a positive indication that there is plenty of talent in the organization based upon eight selections by other teams versus only one player being pulled by the Mets.  Time will tell if any or all of these players find their stride and realize the dream.

John From Albany: Mets Lose Vasil. Lavender, 7 others - Gain 1 in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft

 

The New York Mets lost 9 - that's right 9 players in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft.  Let's take a look at the losses that hurts the most and the one player the Mets selected in the Minor League portion.

Per MLB.com: "The 83 overall picks made were the most since the 2004 Rule 5 Draft."  The Mets lost 10.8% of the total players this year - the highest total from any team.  The Cards and the Orioles were the next closest losing 7 each.

First, the Pitcher the Mets picked up: Michael Hobbs, RHP from the Dodgers Double-A. Drafted in the 10th round in 2021, he will turn 26 in July.  Last year in AA he went 2-1, 2.97 ERA, 42 games - all in relief, 57.2 innings, 52 Ks, 30 walks, 1 save.  Per Baseball America: "His fastball sits 91-92 mph and touches 96 and his low-80s vertical breaking ball a swing-and-miss pitch he can land in the strike zone or get chase swings with." (click here for Videos).  He gives the Mets a useful Bullpen arm at AA Binghamton or AAA Syracuse.  

Now the players they lost - 

In the Major League portion The Rays took LHP Nate Lavender and the Phillies took RHP Mike Vasil whom they traded to the Rays for Cash considerations.

Baseball America and MLB.com think that both pitchers will be able to stay the mandatory 90 days on the MLB roster next year, otherwise they will need to go back to the Mets.  

Nate Lavender, who needed internal brace surgery on his elbow early last season, will be able to sit on the 60 day roster possibly spend more required time with rehab outings in the minor leagues.  Though not a high velocity pitcher, Nate K'd 2.85 hitters for every walk and put up some real good numbers in the Mets system such as a 1.74 ERA in AA, 2023, 7 games, 10.1 innings, 19 Ks, 3 walks.  

Mike Vasil has been one of the Mets top pitching prospects the last two years.  After 10 good starts in AA in 2023, he was promoted to AAA Syracuse.  While he struggled at times in AAA he showed flashes like when he took a no-hitter into the 9th in August 2023.  Tampa Bay thinks he has the ability to start and relief and thinks that versatility will help him stay on the roster for the required period.

In the Minor League portion, the Mets lost 7 more players.  

The two I like the most were RHP's Jawilme Ramirez (taken by the Cardinals) and Nolan Clenney (by the Cubs).  Both showed promise with the Mets.  Nolan Clenney was part of the Arizona Fall League contingent in 2023 and Jawilme Ramirez was in the AFL this year, 2024. 

After allowing just 1 run in 9 games, 9 innings with 13 Ks, 4 walks in the Arizona Fall League last year, Nolan was back in AA Binghamton in 2024 where he went 5-1, 5.37 ERA, 33 games, 53.2 innings, 60 Ks.

Jawilme was able to start and relieve last year and at time put up high strike out numbers.  He went 5-5 with a 3.58 ERA in 30 games in St. Lucie, Brooklyn and Syracuse.  

Others selected: 

Joseph Yabbour, RHP - White Sox

Hobie Harris, RHP - Red Sox (recent minor league free agent)

Junior Tilien, SS - Tigers

Drake Osborn, C - D-backs

Landon Marceaux, RHP - Royals (acquired in the trade of Eduardo Escobar to the Angels)

For more Stats and Videos on these Rule 5 players click here.

Paul Articulates – The winter meetings are about to commence

We are only days away from the MLB winter meetings, which will be held this year in Dallas, TX.  This is always an exciting time for baseball fans because it brings together owners and key front office players from all the teams – which creates opportunity for trades and free agent signings.  

I use the term “opportunity” because sometimes everything breaks loose and sometimes the waiting game outlasts the meetings.  There will be MLB executives, representatives from every major league team and 120 minor league affiliates, international representatives, player agents, and more in the building.

The winter meetings are more than just a social platform for GMs to discuss trades.  It includes several different agenda items including:

• GM meetings – this is where the trades and signings happen.

• Seminars and networking events – updates on technology, rules, and other business.

• Trade show – many companies will be displaying their latest products.

• Job fair – many teams are looking to fill positions from administrative jobs to analytics, health science and even internships.  Many interviews and hirings are held on the premises.

• Rule 5 draft – teams get the opportunity to “poach” players from other organizations that have not been protected on their 40-man roster.  Read our post from last year for the special rules.

• MLB draft lottery – the selection order is determined here for the July 2025 draft.

We will all have our ear to the ground to find out if the Juan Soto signing is announced.  Although not guaranteed to happen during the winter meetings, the signing is expected to be the tipping point for much of the other free agent activity.  The clubs still in the running for Soto will have either a big hole in their pocket if they “win” or a lot of money to spend on other free agents if they “lose”.

The Mets will be a big player in these meetings, as they have money and they have needs.  They have been working a bottoms-up approach to building their pitching staff so far, but this is a time to also work the top end of the rotation.  Big names like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Jack Flaherty, Sean Manaea, and Tanner Scott are still available.

With all the groundwork laid during countless meetings and strategy sessions during the last several weeks, the Mets’ front office team is prepared to go make something happen next week. The team’s future trajectory depends on it.  Stay tuned.

John From ALbany: Mets 2024 Eligible Rule 5 Draft Players

 

The Major League Baseball Rule 5 Draft is scheduled this year for Wednesday, December 11^th - the last day of the Winter Meetings.  Mets have until November 19th to add players to the 40 Man Roster to protect them from the draft.  Here is a look at the potential players to see if any might get added.

In addition, players not added to the 38-Man AAA Roster will be eligible for the minor league portion of the draft.  

The two most likely players to be added are also the only two new Rule 5 eligible players are on MLB/com's Top 30 Mets Prospect list:

#15 Dominic Hamel and #18 Mike Vasil. 

While they struggled last year in AAA with ERA's of 6+ after having success in the lower levels, they both showed flashes that have made them top Mets prospects over the years.  Baseball America projects both as back end MLB starters and since they are already at AAA, MLB teams would need to keep them on the MLB roster next year if they are selected. Both will turn 25 next March and given the lack of quality pitching in the majors, it would make sense for the Mets to protect them.

SNY's Joe DeMayo posted on X that both players "need to be protected".

Another interesting case could be Outfielder Alex Ramirez.  While the Mets added him the 40 Man Roster last year to keep him out of the Rule 5 Draft. The once top 5 Mets Prospect has fallen to #26 on MLB.com's Prospect List after tough years in Brooklyn in 2023 (.221/.310/.317) and Binghamton is 2024 (.210/.291/.299).  He'd have to pass through waivers to move him off the roster which would likely result in a team grabbing him.  I think the more likely scenario is that he gets dealt as part of a bigger deal or the Mets try one more year to get him turned around.

Luis R. Rodriguez: Luis is a lefty that threw as hard as 97 MPH.  Then in March 2022, he had Tommy John Surgery missing all of 2022.  He came back to pitch 2 games for St. Lucie and 4 games for the 2023 FCL Mets but ended up missing all of 2024 as well. Lefties who throw hard are valuable and could be chosen in the minor league portion of the draft.

Matt Allan: Matt has not appeared in a minor league game since the year he was drafted in 2019.  Matt had Tommy John surgery in May '21, ulnar transition survey in January '22 and UCL revision surgery in January '23.  Per Anthony DiComo on Twitter, Matt threw off the mound in 2024 but won't see game action until 2025.  

Calvin Ziegler: Was a top ten prospect in 2023 but after just two games with Brooklyn this year, needed Tommy John surgery.  It is not sure when he will get back on the mound in 2025.

For more and the full list of eligible Rule 5 players, click here.