List of Brewers Rule 5 Eligible Players - Who to Protect?

Via MLB.com -

"Held each December, the Rule 5 Draft allows clubs without a full 40-man roster to select certain non-40-man roster players from other clubs. Clubs draft in reverse order of the standings from the previous season. 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."

In November 2021, even though the Rule 5 draft did not take place later that winter due to the lockout, all MLB teams had to finalize rosters. The Brewers did not deem any minor league player worthy of protection and no players were added to the 40-man. The player many considered as a possibility, OF/INF Korry Howell, would later be traded (along with catcher Brett Sullivan) to San Diego in the deal that netted catcher Victor Caratini. Howell was having a productive 2022 season prior to a season-ending injury in June and is currently ranked at #10 in Pipeline's most recent and heavily reconfigured Padres Top 30. But in many ways, Caratini has filled a critical role for the Crew. The Brewers don't regret the deal.

Prior to the 2020 Rule 5, RHP's Alec Bettinger and Dylan File were added to the 40-man. Both were dropped from the 40-man this year, each clearing waivers. Bettinger was since released and has announced his retirement. File remains productive and the Brewers maintain his rights for the 2023 season. File is eligible to be re-added to the 40-man as shown below.

Following this list of 62 eligible players, I'll briefly provide my thoughts on who I would protect if I were in the GM seat. But we really look forward to seeing your responses in the comments. Keep in mind that although they may be big leaguers soon, players like Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, and Joey Wiemer do not need to be added to protect them from Rule 5. Their pro baseball journeys are too short at this point.

Current Nashville Sounds:

• LHP Clayton Andrews
• RHP Caleb Boushley
• INF Patrick Dorrian
• RHP Dylan File
• RHP Matt Hardy
• C Nick Kahle
• C Brian Navarreto
• RHP Cam Robinson
• INF Brice Turang
• RHP Marcus Walden

Current Biloxi Shuckers:

• LHP Nick Bennett
• RHP Victor Castaneda
• RHP Luis Contreras
• INF Cam Devanney
• C Brent Diaz
• 1B/C Thomas Dillard
• RHP Arnaldo Hernandez
• RHP Robbie Hitt
• INF Gabe Holt
• RHP Justin Jarvis
• C Jason Lopez
• OF Tristen Lutz
• RHP Abner Uribe
• INF Felix Valerio
• RHP Zach Vennaro
• RHP Noah Zavolas 

Current Wisconsin Timber Rattlers:

• 2B Jose Acosta
• OF Micah Bello
• RHP Justin Bullock
• OF Arbert Cipion
• RHP Taylor Floyd
• SS Eduardo Garcia
• RHP Rafael Garcia
• RHP Tyler Gillies
• OF Joe Gray, Jr
• RHP Max Lazar
• 1B Ernesto Martinez
• RHP Joey Matulovich
• INF Ashton McGee
• OF Reidy Mercado
• LHP Karlos Morales
• RHP Zach Mort
• RHP Israel Puello
• OF Carlos D. Rodriguez
• RHP Brady Schanuel
• RHP Christian Tripp
• OF Je'Von Ward

Current Carolina Mudcats:

• 1B Jesus Chirinos
• RHP Jhoan Cruz
• OF Eduarqui Fernandez
• INF Alberis Ferrer
• LHP Pablo Garabitos
• RHP Juan Geraldo
• LHP Jackson Gillis
• C Alex Hall
• 3B Branlyn Jaraba
• RHP Caden Lemons
• RHP Michele Vassalotti

Current Maryvale Brewers:

• C Jhonnys Cabrera
• INF Daniel Castillo
• OF Oswal Leones
• RHP Mario Perez
• LHP Josh Shapiro

My Protection List:
Brice Turang (Lock) - Most likely won't need to wait until November 20th and will see action down the stretch
Cam Robinson - Rare for a pure reliever to be added, but hard to dispute the amazing 2021-2022 production
Abner Uribe - Two pure relievers? It's today's MLB. Season-ending injury was a knee, not the 103 MPH arm.

Not quite:
Victor Castaneda, Justin Jarvis, Felix Valerio, Eduardo Garcia

Just to wrap up, there is a Minor League Phase of the Rule 5 draft as well:

For the Minor League phase, any player not protected on a 38-man Triple-A roster from that same group can be selected. Any team with a full 38-man Triple-A roster is not allowed to make a selection, but teams can make as many picks as they want until they get to 38 players.

That doesn’t mean, as it does in the Major League phase, that a player selected has to stick at that level. If a team takes a player in the Minor League phase, it costs $24,500, paid to the original team. The selecting team can then send its new player to any level in its system it chooses.

Without getting too deep into the woods, the Brewers will likely set their "AAA" roster to 35 to 36, leaving room for them to make a pick or two in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft if they wish. They will create that list from the 62 names above. Those not included will be eligible to be plucked in the minor league phase of Rule 5.

Final note: You see names on the list above, namely Nashville C Brian Navarreto and RHP Marcus Walden, plus Biloxi RHP Arnaldo Hernandez and C Jason Lopez, that seemingly will not qualify for minor league free agency and do not appear on our previously published list of those players. We have reason to believe that these players are on current deals that extend their relationship with Milwaukee into 2023.