Rule 5 Dodger Candidates

Each year the Rule 5 Draft takes place in December where Minor Leaguers have the chance to get picked up and added to another teams active roster. In case you’re wondering what it is, or why it exists, it was put in place to ensure that teams can’t hold onto (Hoard) prospects, just so other organizations can’t have them.

Per MLB.com “Players signed at age 18 or younger need to be added to their club’s 40-Man roster within five seasons or they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Players who signed at age 19 or older need to be protected within four seasons.”

If a player gets drafted, then he has to be placed on the team that drafted him’s 26 man roster, and can’t be removed for the entire next season unless they go through the typical DFA process.

Ryan Noda, Jose Hernandez and Gus Varland were taken last year, and of the 3, only Varland was returned, and he ended up pitching some at the MLB level with the Dodgers and turning heads.

So, who is eligible this year for the Dodgers?

There are too many to name or cover all of them, so I’m gonna break down the prospects that I think are most likely.

Alec Gamboa–Gamboa is a 26 year old left handed reliever that has been converted recently from a starting postion. Because of that, he brings a ton of versatility and a lot of talent. Gamboa was a 3-time State Placer in wrestling at Madera High in the Fresno area, he was his High Schools MVP on the football field, and his baseball resume speaks for itself.

Gamboa went to Fresno State out of High School, then transferred to Fresno City College where he finished his collegiate career. The Dodgers noticed him while he was in College, invited him to work out at Dodgers Stadium, and then offered him a contract after seeing how good he was from up close. 

Gamboa has been a Dodger ever since, and that’s awesome because both he and his entire family are Diehard Dodgers fans. In fact, Gamboa grew up idolizing Fernando Valenzuela, and wears his jersey #34 when at all possible. 

Gamboa is a young man that hit as high as 99 this past season and has elite mental and physical toughness. He also features a slider, change and curve, so he has a “starters” mix in a “relievers” role.

He had a year where large parts of it were dominant, then finished on a bit of a skid, but still carries a lot of momentum and excitement into 2024.

If I was another club, Gamboa would be a slam dunk, and I wouldn’t hesitate to pick him up. This guy loves the big moment, he loves the competitive moments, so putting him in the MLB spotlight is going to make him better, so I really hope he gets his chance.

He will be worth it for any team that picks him up.

John Rooney- Rooney is another 26 year old Left Handed reliever, that, just like Gamboa, used to be a starter as well. Rooney has “THE BEST” pickoff move in “ALL” of baseball, and actually picked off Jose Altuve this past season when Altuve was rehabbing with Corpus Christi.

Rooney came into last season as the typical 4-seam, changeup type pitcher, but changed this up last off season. Instead, he transitioned to more of an East-West type pitcher this past season and threw a 2-Seam/Cutter combo, before adding his change up back into his mix late in the season. 

It all worked for Rooney as he posted a 2.86 ERA with 69 Ks in 69 innings. Rooney is from New York, went to Hofstra and stands 6’5, so he gets great extension, and is another plus human with a lot of talent and good experience. He is also one of the most tireless workers one could ever follow.

If I was another club, I would not hesitate to pick up Rooney. He has a lot of experience, could fill any role you needed him to, has every pitch shape, won’t get out worked and is very long. 

Kendall Williams- Williams was drafted by the Toronto Bluejays in the 2nd Round of  the 2019 Draft and was traded to the Dodgers in the deal that sent Ross Stripling to Toronto. Williams was drafted out of High School, the IMG Academy, so, despite the fact that he has been in Pro ball for 4 years already, he is still just 23 years old. 

Williams is 6’6, but he isn’t the typical flame thrower. He can run it up pretty good (mid to low 90’s), and, as tall as he is, his 4 seam does have good carry. He pairs that with a good slider and he also has a splitter, which makes him unique. 

Williams didn’t get ramped up until June 17 last season, due to injuries, but, pitched so well that, form that time on, he jumped 3 levels and ended up in AAA OKC after starting in High A Great Lakes. 

Williams will be an interesting one to follow because he is so young, but, because he only has 7 appearances above the High A level, it would be a big leap for a club to roster him on their 26 man active roster under the stipulations that he has to stay there the entirety of the 2024 season, otherwise he gets returned. 

Drew Avans-Drew Avans was a AAA All Star in 2022 after stealing 40 bases and posting a 53 game hit streak. I was really hoping he would get taken in last years Rule 5 Draft, but he was not and returned to OKC for a 3rd year in AAA. 

Avans, got off to a slow start, because, in my opinion, after having such a great 2022, but with no MLB time to show for it, he tried to add power to his game. About 1/2 way through last year he went back to just being Drew Avans and the great player that he is.

I promise you, for any club that would take the leap to take this guy, if you put him in Center and at the top of the lineup, you would be getting a tremendous player. I understand that he doesn’t fit the 3 true outcomes that organizations can actually quantify, but, trust me, this guy is a GREAT player, and would make a very good hand at the MLB level. 

I’m rootin’ like heck for him, although I had more confidence in him getting taken last year. It’s frustrating that MLB baseball has devalued players with his type of game, because he affects the game in so many ways, and when you can steal 61 bases, you are a threat. 

Ryan Ward-Ward is one of my favorite young hitters in the game. He hit over .400 for a season at Bryant, so, if he wanted to be a low line drive hitter, his bat to ball skills could be very good.

But, as he has moved through the pro ranks, especially in the Dodgers system, he has added more North/South swing planes to get the ball in the air. That has led to very nice power numbers, where, in fact, he has hit 76 home runs in the last 3 years. Of course, adding power always comes at a cost, and that cost usually comes in the amount of strike outs. Ward’s K% has risen every year, but is only 25%, which, considering the power numbers he has put up, is very acceptable. 

Ward is 25 years old, has college experience and spent ALL of last year in AAA, so he is ready for a chance at the MLB level. I think it’s likely a long shot that he get taken, but, if it were up to me, I would NOT hesitate in the least to take this Millbury Massachusetts native. 

Ward has continually improved his defense and can play both the outfield and 1st base, so he has versatility and and tremendous “upside” to his hit tool that has the ability to provide a great combo of power and bat to ball skills.

Jose Ramos-Ramos has as many tools as any prospect in the game, and that’s not an exaggeration. This dude can flat play defense, he has an incredible arm, a world of power at the plate and can hit the ball the other way as well.

I do wish he would use his speed more on the base paths to steal more bases, but he does have speed, and would be a + defender at any one of the 3 outfield spots.

Ramos does have a world of power, but he also swings and misses quite a bit. His K% was 32.7% in 2022, but then improved to 28.9% last year. 28.9% is an improvement over 2022, but, when combined with 19 home runs, provided an ISO of .168. And, when a hitters ISO is that much lower than their K%, typically that indicates a negative trade off between power and swing and miss. 

Ramos has yet to make it past the AA level, so, if an organization picks him up, it will; be based off of potential. One would have to assume that the type of club to pick him up would be trying to build a future with Dynamic young players and has the time and patience to let him grow into the best MLB version of a player that he could be.

Braydon Fisher-Fisher has been in Pro ball for 5 years (4 seasons), but, because he was drafted out of High School (Clear Falls) in League City, Texas, he is still just 23 years old. He’s also 6’4, so he is very long and gets good extension, and he has a great breaking ball.

He is also “THE MOST” versatile pitcher in an organization that values and creates versatility in ALL of it’s pitchers and position players. Fisher threw multiple innings in 24 of his 46 appearances and has been used anywhere from a starter to a late inning high leverage reliever, and even closer. 

In fact, as you watch him, you understand that he does his best work when it matters most. He is absolute dynamite in big situations, and wants the ball with the game on the line. 

Fisher held together a staff in AA Tulsa last summer that saw constant change, a lot of adversity and he did everything that was asked of him, plus some. 

Fisher is a ++ human being and would be a very valuable asset to an organization, and, as we saw with Jose Hernandez getting plucked from the AA ranks last year, anything is possible. So, let’s cross our fingers and hope for the best for this young man because he is a Great dude, he comes from great folks, and he is one that you definitely root for.

Choi and Duran

Hyun-il Choi and Carlos Duran are two very talented right handed starting pitchers that have spent good amounts of time on the Dodgers Top Prospects lists, but, because of injury, have stalled a touch in their ascent to the MLB.

Choi is a very skilled pitcher that is very good at spotting his pitches and moving the ball away from barrels. After being named the Dodgers Minor League pitcher of the Year in 2021, he did not pitch in 2022, due to injury, then didn’t get ramped up this past season until May 25. 

Duran has been in the Dodgers system since 2018, but is only 22 years old because he was signed at such a young age as an International prospect. Duran has a unique motion where he pauses at different times of his windup to throw off the hitters timing. He also has great breaking stuff and a fastball that can sit lower to mid 90’s.

At 6’7 Duran has the potential to have great extension, but hasn’t fully tapped into that aspect of his mechanics yet, in my opinion, so I think there is a lot of growing left in his game. 

Just like Choi, Duran has been slowed by injuries and didn’t pitch this past season after pitching just 49.2 innings in 2022, so, from that perspective, for either of those 2 to get picked in the Rule 5 draft, it would be a surprise. Of course, one could also look at it like, you could place Duran on the 60 day IL, which means you wouldn’t have to put him on the 26 man roster, and could store him away as a future piece to your puzzle vs. needing him to be an immediate impact.

Kody Hoese and Brandon Lewis are two prospects that have been highly thought of for quite some time, but, either due to injury, or just overall struggles, have yet to make it past the AA level. 

Hoese is THE BEST defensive infielder in the system, and has shown flashes of his offensive potential, but hasn’t put the consistency together yet to threaten the MLB level. He is definitely capable though, and everyone’s timetable is different, so I won’t be surprised if/when he puts things together, likely, and just simply because he has a period of health that keeps him on the field enough to gain consistency.

Lewis is a corner infielder from the L.A. area with big power, soft hands and good agility at either 3rd or 1st base. Lewis hit the most Homeruns per at bat of any player in the organization in 2021, but has simply struggled at the plate the last 2 season. Like Hoese, he is totally capable, and the Dodgers are waiting for him to put it back together to show the promise that he is capable of. 

Yeiner Fernandez is one the toughest and talented prospects in the game. He mainly catches, but can play 2nd base, or just about anything else a club needs from him. 

Fernandez is a throwback in the sense that, not only is he very tough and durable, his K% in the last 3 years has not gone above 13%. At the same time his ISO climbed to .138 in 2022, so he’s gonna be a guy that typically puts the ball in play, but not hit a ton of home runs.

From the catcher position, teams may want more than 6 home runs, which is how many he hit last year, but they will want everything else about this guy. Considering that he doesn’t hit a ton of home runs, however, and that he has not played above the High A level, it would be a surprise if he got taken, but, hey, you never know. 

Robbie Peto is a very versatile right handed pitcher that has been used mainly in the “piggyback” role. His breaking stuff is good and was refined last year as he adjusted to the AA level. Peto came to the Dodgers from Stetson after starting his college career at North Carolina. 

Peto brings a +breaking ball, good location when he’s on and the ability to pitch in any role a team may need. 

Carson Taylor is a very talented catching prospect that was drafted in the shortened 2020 draft that was only 5 rounds, so he has always been highly thought of. He has not been able to stay healthy the last 2 years, so his momentum has slowed almost all the way to a halt, but that doesn’t mean he’s not still talented and capable. 

He came to the Dodgers as a switch hitter, but ditched the right side last year and it helped him. He needs a year of good fortune and good health, and then, if he gets that, he needs to get back to the top of his game, because the potential is there. 

Do not be surprised if he is picked in this Rule 5 Draft. He has had to deal with injuries, which have held him back, but he has a very good hit tool and a growing defensive game.

Tanner Dodson came over in the trade for Luke Raley. Dodson was a 2 way player at Cal and has an absolute thunderbolt for a right arm. In fact, he has reached 100 mph or more on several occasions.

So, the stuff is there, and he reached AAA last year, so there is a lot to like. There is also a lot to be concerned about if you’re another team that is looking to pick up MLB ready arms.

While his arm is big, and so is his stuff at times, he posted a BB/9 rate last year of 7.00 and has posted BB/9 rates as high as 10.80 in the past. So, for a club to commit a 26 man roster spot for him, it would be more as a project, in a rebuild, where Dodson would have time to polish up the edges. 

Kevin Gowdy is a right handed reliever that the Dodgers picked up out of Free Agency last winter. Gowdy features a very good slider and fastball that reached as high as 98 last summer, so his stuff is very good.

He also improved a bunch last year with AA Tulsa, so he carries a ton of momentum into the off season.

I am super pumped about where Gowdy is at right now, and I think he’s poised to turn some heads in 2024, so I am looking forward to paying that off. 

Benony Robles is a left-handed reliever that was instrumental in the Loon’s playoff push last year, and eventual showing in the Midwest League Championship series. 

Robles is a 6’4 lefty with a fastball that sits mid 90’s and can threaten triple digits. He has a lot of swing and miss in his stuff, posting a 14.60 K/9 rate last year, a year in which he was given very high leverage positions, of which he flourished. 

Carlos De Los Santos is a very intimidating right handed pitcher, who approaches 100 MPH with his fastball. He runs hot and loves the big moment and averages more than 1 K per inning. His BB/9 rate, like almost all the Dodgers pitching prospects, is too high at 6.63, so he is still in development, but has a lot of potential.

DeLos Santos is another International prospect that has been with the Dodgers for more than half a decade, but is still only 23. He definitely has MLB caliber stuff, an MLB caliber type mentality, but he hasn’t made it past High A, so, while it’s not impossible that he gets taken, it would be very surprising. 

More Notables:

Here is a list of the rest of the Dodgers that are eligible. Anything is possible, and I’ve been wrong many times before, and will be wrong many times again, but the players I highlighted above are the ones that I think have the best chance at getting taken. But, here’s the rest of the Dodgers that are eligible, and let’s hope that I’m wrong on all of them.

Yunior Garcia, Jefferson Valladares, Jose Hernandez, Luis Rodriguez, Jose Mesa, Jorge Puerta, Yon Castro, Robinson Ortiz, Jerming Rosario, Edgardo Henriquez, Jack Little, Willis Montgomerie, Christian Suarez, Mitchell Tyranski, Joel Ibarra, Sauryn Lao, Octavio Becerra, Jimmy Lewis, Jorge Gonzalez.

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