The unprotected, part 1

Here is the best source of information I've been able to find on the Rule V draft. It's over there in the links on the right-hand side.

Here are some assumptions I'm making and don't find specifically addressed there: (1) all pro leagues are equally pro, i.e., rookie leagues count equally as A leagues, (2) any part of a pro season counts as a full season for the purpose of determining a player's experience, and (3) the same eligibility requirements hold for all players regardless of whether they were acquired by draft, trade, amateur free agency, or the minor-league Rule 5 draft (which is different from the big-league Rule 5 draft).

This rule is clear:

Players who were 18 or younger on June 5 preceding the signing of their first contract must be protected after four minor league seasons. Players 19 and older must be protected after three seasons.

Why June 5? That's roughly the date of the draft. If a player is drafted as an 18-year-old but turns 19 before he signs, his team doesn't lose that extra year of protection.

Everyone should know by now that a player selected in the big-league Rule 5 process has to stay on the selecting team's 25-man roster for the full year. If they want to keep him and take him off the roster, they have to put him on waivers and any team can claim him and be bound to same rules. If he clears waivers, he has to be offered back to the original team.

What we saw last year is that a lot of clubs have no scruples about selecting players when there is a 90% chance they'll never be able to keep him on the big-league club for the full year. The price of the selection is very low and it's no deterrent for teams like Oakland to grab some guy and take a flyer on him. Players can bounce around for a full year - as Jose Bautista did - before knowing where they'll be when spring training opens the next year.

Obviously, the Pirates want to protect as many players as they can. Yet it's clear to me that the Pirates will probably lose at least some players again. There's too many who appear to be worth protecting and even clubs that rarely promote prospects to the big leagues (e.g., the Yankees) need them so they can make trades (witness their failure to trade for Randy Johnson this year).

Here's a rough list of minor-league hitters that will be exposed unless they are added to the 40-man roster. Some of these guys will not be worth protecting, but for the sake of comprehensiveness, I've included everyone who hit well this year who isn't 30.

Rich Thompson
Brad Eldred
Jorges Cortes
Nate McLouth
Ronny Paulino
Rajai Davis
Chris Duffy
Yurendell DeCaster
Ray Sadler
Javier Guzman

House, Davis, Rivera, Alvarez, Sanchez, and Doumit are already on the 40-man; Boeve and Stansberry are finishing only their second pro season.

The pitchers:

Mike Connolly
Landon Jacobsen
Matt Peterson
Mark Michael
Leo Nunez
Jeff Miller

Bradley and Snell are on the 40-man and Duke is finishing his second pro season. Jeff Miller is the only relief pitcher on the list. I'm assuming that, with so many players to protect, the last thing we'd do is protect a bunch of minor-league relievers.

Those who know better, please leave a comment or send an email to honestwagner at yahoo dot com.

Who from those lists, in your opinion, most warrants addition to the 40-man?

How willing are you to sacrifice some of the guys who have already had a crack at big-league play and failed to emerge as big-league players? How attached to J.J. Davis or Carlos Rivera do you think the team should be?