Yankees Protect Three Prospects from Rule 5 Draft

Ahead of the deadline to add players to their 40-man roster before they'd be available to be selected in this year's Rule 5 Draft, the New York Yankees protected three of their top prospects.

According to the New York Post's Greg Joyce, right-handed pitchers Chase Hampton and Elmer Rodriguez- Cruz as well as outfielder Spencer Jones have all been placed on the 40-man roster and thus won't be apart of the player pool for the Rule 5 Draft, which will take place at the end of the Winter Meetings in December.

What Makes Players Eligible for Rule 5 Draft?

As outlined by MLB.com, players who sign their first professional contract at 18-years-old or younger must be added to the 40-man roster within five seasons in order to avoid being exposed to the Rule 5 Draft, while players who first sign at 19-years-old or older have to be placed on the 40-man roster within four seasons.

"Players first signed at age 18 or younger must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process," the site wrote. "Players signed at 19 years or older have to be protected within four seasons."

Jones and Hampton, who were both members of New York's 2022 draft class, signed with the club at 21 and 20, respectively. Rodriguez-Cruz, meanwhile, was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 draft by the Boston Red Sox and signed when he was 17-years-old.