MLBTR checks in on the Rule 5 class from time to time to note the developments. The last update was in June. Since then, one guy has changed teams and another has hit the injured list. Remarkably, only one of the 13 picks is both healthy and still with the club that initially picked him up, and it’s perhaps the most surprising one of the group.
As a refresher, the purpose of the Rule 5 is to give major league opportunities to players who are blocked in their current organization. Players become Rule 5 eligible after a certain amount of time in the minors, depending on what age they were when they were signed as amateurs. A team can protect a player from the Rule 5 by adding him to their 40-man roster. Once a player is selected in the draft, he cannot be optioned to the minors in the following season. At the end of that season, if the player is still with the drafting club and was active for at least 90 days, that team gains his full rights and Rule 5 restrictions no longer apply. If the player was not active for 90 days, the Rule 5 restrictions carry over into the next season until the 90-day mark is reached.
If the selecting team no longer wants to roster the player, he needs to either be traded or placed on waivers. Any acquiring team would take on the same Rule 5 restrictions. If he clears waivers, he is offered back to his original organization. That club can take the player back without carrying him on the 40-man roster and the Rule 5 restrictions are done.
On Drafting Team’s Active Roster
Spencer Miles, Blue Jays RHP (selected from Giants)Miles was an unorthodox Rule 5 pick, to put it mildly. The Giants drafted him in 2022 and he logged 7 1/3 innings in the lower levels that year. He missed 2023 due to back surgery. He returned to the mound in 2024 and tossed another 7 1/3 innings before Tommy John was required. That wiped out his 2025, at least in terms of the standard summer schedule. He appeared in the Arizona Fall League that year and tossed 8 2/3 innings.
The Giants left Miles unprotected, assuming that no other club would pick a guy who had thrown roughly 20 scattered innings over a four-year period. The Blue Jays took a chance on him, which was surprising in a few ways. On top of the lack of mileage on Miles’ arm, the Jays were defending American League champions and coming into the season as clear-cut contenders. A risky Rule 5 pick like this would have perhaps made some sense on a rebuilding club but was harder to see working on a team trying to win in the present.
But against all odds, it has worked out. That’s partly because the Jays have suffered a number of pitching injuries this year but Miles has also stepped up whenever called upon and for whatever role the Jays have needed him for.
He has worked as a long reliever, a starter, an opener, a bulk guy behind an opener, and a high-leverage reliever. He has appeared in 46 games for the Jays, including seven starts, and logged 89 2/3 innings. He has allowed 2.71 earned runs per nine. His 24% strikeout rate, 6.4% walk rate and 52.2% ground ball rate are all above-average figures. He has two saves and a hold.
At this point, Miles is a lock to finish the season with the Jays. The club will then retain his full rights, meaning he could be optioned to the minors next year, if the club so chooses. Since he could finish the year with close to 100 innings under his belt, perhaps he could be fully stretched out in 2027.
If he Jays go that route, Miles could compete for a spot in the back of next year’s rotation. Dylan Cease, José Soriano and Trey Yesavage have three spots locked up. That leaves two openings for Miles, Cody Ponce, Spencer Arrighetti, Jake Bloss and others, though the picture will be impacted by whatever offseason moves the Jays make.
On Major League Injured List
Carter Baumler, Rangers RHP (selected from Orioles via trade with Pittsburgh)Baumler didn’t get much of a chance to prove himself with the Rangers. He made four appearances before an intercostal strain put him on the 15-day IL. He started a rehab assignment in late April but Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reported in early May that Baumler had suffered a rotator cuff strain on that assignment. He was later transferred to the 60-day IL. He started a new rehab assignment August 30 and could perhaps rejoin the club before the regular season is done.
Even if Baumler does get activated in the coming days, he won’t get anywhere near 90 days on the active roster this year. That means his Rule 5 restrictions would carry over in 2027 if the Rangers keep him. They will have to decide whether or not they want to do that. When the Rangers picked him up in that Rule 5 trade, he was coming off a strong 2025 season in the minors with a 2.04 ERA and 29.1% strikeout rate in 39 2/3 innings. Going into 2027, he’ll be coming off a largely injury-marred year.
RJ Petit, Rockies RHP (selected from Tigers)The Rockies had the top pick in the Rule 5 draft and took Petit. He had just finished a strong 2025 season in the Tigers’ system, tossing 66 1/3 innings with a 2.44 ERA, 29.5% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 42.1% ground ball rate.
Unfortunately, he got hurt in spring training and required Tommy John surgery before the season even began. He has been on the 60-day IL all year. The IL goes away five days after the World Series, so the Rockies will need to decide whether or not to put him back on the 40-man roster. If they do, his Rule 5 restrictions would carry over into the future. Since he might miss half of 2027 while rehabbing, he wouldn’t even be a lock to get 90 active days next year.
Daniel Susac, Giants C (selected from A’s via trade with Minnesota)Susac was a first-round pick of the A’s in 2022 but his production had been up-and-down in the minors. His 2025 season was good in a vacuum, as he hit 18 home runs in just 407 plate appearances. But in the context of the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, his .275/.349/.483 line translated to a 94 wRC+.
The A’s left him unprotected and the Giants scooped him up, via a trade with Minnesota. Susac opened the season as backup to Patrick Bailey and the early results were very encouraging. Susac hit the injured list in late April due to right elbow neuritis. At the time of that IL placement, Susac had a .478/.500/.652 line in 24 plate appearances. Before he got back from the IL, Bailey was traded to the Guardians.
That deal seemingly showed a lot of faith in Susac, though things haven’t been as rosy since then. Susac had another stint on the IL in June/July due to a low back strain, then a left knee patella fracture ended his season in August. He hit .198/.252/.322 since coming back from that first IL stint, giving him a total .243/.289/.375 line for the year. That translates to a subpar 83 wRC+, though with strong defensive grades.
With Susac out, the Giants have been using Drew Cavanaugh and Andrew Knizner behind the plate. Knizner is a veteran journeyman. He is technically under arbitration control for 2027 but the Giants will surely nudge him off the roster at some point in the offseason. Cavanaugh is posting subpar defensive and offensive numbers in his debut. The Giants might still have Susac as their top option going into next year. Despite all the IL stints, Susac spend 92 days on the active roster, just enough for the Giants to obtain his full rights beyond this year with no Rule 5 restrictions.
On New Team’s MLB Roster
Ryan Watson, Angels RHP (selected by Red Sox from Giants via trade with A’s)Watson broke camp with the Red Sox and hung around for a while, posting passable but not great numbers. He made 35 appearances for Boston, tossing 55 2/3 innings with a 4.53 ERA. His 7.9% walk rate was decent but his 17.9% strikeout rate and 38.4% ground ball rate were subpar.
The Sox were in a rut earlier this year but got hot in the summer and went into the deadline as buyers. One of their pickups was acquiring Erik Miller from the Giants and adding him to the bullpen. That squeezed Watson off the roster. As a Rule 5 guy, he couldn’t be optioned. And since the trade deadline had passed, he had to be placed on waivers.
The Angels claimed him from the wire. As a rebuilding club, they had much more space in their bullpen for a Rule 5 guy than the contending Red Sox. Watson has picked up the pace since that jersey swap. It’s a small sample of 14 1/3 innings but he has a 1.88 ERA as an Angel, with a 29.8% strikeout rate, 5.3% walk rate and 48.6% ground ball rate. He has become one of the key arms in the club’s bullpen, racking up two saves and seven holds in a short amount of time. He’s a lock to stick with the Angels through the end of the season.
Zach McCambley, Reds RHP (selected by Phillies from Marlins)McCambley has taken a circuitous route to the big leagues this year. The Phillies took him from the Marlins in the Rule 5 but then threw him back at the end of camp. Miami accepted him back, meaning McCambley was no longer on a 40-man roster and the Rule 5 restrictions were gone.
In May, the Reds designated Rece Hinds for assignment. The Marlins flipped McCambley to the Reds in order to grab Hinds out of DFA limbo. Cincinnati selected McCambley onto the 40-man in June. Since then, he has been shuttled between Triple-A and the big leagues, with a 4.15 ERA in 8 2/3 major league innings. Since he’s no longer a Rule 5 guy, the Reds already have his full rights.
Returned To Original Organization
Alexander Alberto, RHP (returned to Rays by White Sox)The White Sox took a chance on Alberto but it didn’t pan out. He allowed eight earned runs in 6 2/3 innings in the spring. He was returned to the Rays by the middle of March. In Tampa’s system, he posted some good numbers in Double-A but has scuffled a bit since getting moved up a level. In 30 innings for Triple-A Durham, he has a 4.80 ERA. His 60.2% ground ball rate is great but opponents have been doing damage when getting the ball in the air, as a third of his fly balls have left the yard.
Griff McGarry, Dodgers RHP (returned to Phillies by Nationals; subsequently traded to Dodgers)The Nats grabbed McGarry from a division rival but couldn’t make it work. McGarry walked five of the 27 batters he faced in spring training, a rough 18.5% clip. He also hit one batter, so 22.2% of opponents got a free trip to first base. He was returned to the Phillies before Opening Day. A few weeks later, the Phils sent him to the Dodgers for international bonus pool space, which helped the Phillies sign Chan-Min Park. Since joining the Dodgers, McGarry’s control has not improved. He has thrown 26 1/3 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City with a 6.84 ERA and horrendous 29.4% walk rate.
Jedixson Páez, RHP (returned to Red Sox by White Sox; subsequently selected by Red Sox)The White Sox scooped up Páez and even broke camp with him but he didn’t last long. He made three appearances, allowing six earned runs in three frames, before being sent back to the Red Sox. Back with Boston, he posted good numbers in the minors and got called up when rosters expanded on September 1. He started that game but allowed eight earned runs in 3 2/3 innings and got optioned back to the minors.
Páez currently sports an unsightly 18.90 ERA in 6 2/3 big league innings but he has a 3.69 ERA on the farm this year. In his 70 2/3 minor league innings in 2026, he has a 29.9% strikeout rate, 2.9% walk rate and 47.8% ground ball rate.
Peyton Pallette, RHP (returned to White Sox by Guardians)Pallette had a really strong spring, firing six scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts, and looked like a nice find for the Guardians. However, control problems emerged during the regular season. He walked 16.5% of batters faced and was returned to the White Sox in May. Since then, he has thrown 30 2/3 Triple-A innings with a solid 3.52 ERA but the control issues are still there, as he has walked 16.7% of opponents.
Matt Pushard, RHP (returned to Marlins by Cardinals)Pushard technically lasted longer into the season than Pallette but mostly by default. He hit the IL in late March due to right knee patellar tendinitis and he didn’t make it back until the middle of May. By the end of May, he was designated for assignment. Though he lasted a few months into the campaign, he only made six appearances, with a 5.14 ERA in those. Since being returned to the Marlins, he has thrown 36 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 3.47 ERA.
Cade Winquest, RHP (returned to Cardinals by Yankees; subsequently selected by Cardinals)Winquest’s Rule 5 journey was unusual in a few ways. The Yankees don’t make many Rule 5 picks and don’t usually keep them. Winquest was the first Rule 5 guy to break camp since Josh Phelps in 2007. Winquest cracked the Opening Day roster despite a poor spring, allowing eight earned runs in ten innings. But he was never put into a regular season game and then was designated for assignment on April 9.
Once back with the Cardinals, he posted good numbers in the minors and got called up in August. He finally got to make his major league debut and now has seven appearances under his belt, though with a subpar 6.48 ERA. In 39 2/3 Triple-A innings, his 4.54 ERA doesn’t look great but is mostly due to an unlucky strand rate and batting average on balls in play. His 34.8% strikeout rate, 9.5% walk rate and 51.1% ground ball rate are all strong figures.
Declined By Original Organization
Roddery Muñoz, Astros RHP (selected from Reds)Muñoz also had a strange Rule 5 journey. Unlike most Rule 5 picks, he already had major league experience. He signed a minor league deal with the Reds in November but the Astros scooped him up in the Rule 5. He broke camp but was designated for assignment in April. He cleared waivers and was offered back to the Reds but they declined, which allowed the Astros to assign him to Triple-A Sugar Land.
Since then, he has posted strong numbers for the Space Cowboys but hasn’t been called up to the big leagues. In 51 innings, he has a flat ERA of 3.00, a 33.6% strikeout rate, 8.8% walk rate and 53.4% ground ball rate.
Photo courtesy of David Kirouac, Imagn Images
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