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The 2025 Winter Meetings in Orlando unofficially wrapped up Wednesday afternoon with the annual Rule 5 Draft. The Rule 5 Draft gives minor leaguers who are not top prospects a big-league opportunity by making it more difficult for clubs to stash players in the minors indefinitely.

Generally speaking, college players drafted no later than 2022 and high school players drafted no later than 2021 were eligible this winter, as were players signed internationally no later than 2021. Players who meet that criteria and are not on the 40-man roster are eligible to be selected.

Players selected in the Rule 5 Draft must remain on their new team's MLB roster all next season, otherwise they must pass through waivers and be offered back to their original team. A dozen or so players are selected in the Rule 5 Draft each year but very few actually stick with their new team.

The White Sox struck Rule 5 Draft gold with righty Shane Smith last year. He threw 146 ⅓ innings with a 3.81 ERA in 2025, and became only the second Rule 5 Draft pick to go to the All-Star Game the next season, joining Dan Uggla. Most Rule 5 Draft picks are middle relievers and bench guys.

Teams do not have to make a Rule 5 Draft pick, and they can make as many picks as they have open 40-man roster spots. A total of 13 picks were made this year. Here is what you need to know about each of this year's Rule 5 Draft selections.

1. Rockies: RHP RJ Petit (Tigers)

Petit, 26, is exactly the kind of player typically taken in the Rule 5 Draft. He's had success in the upper minors (2.44 ERA while striking out close to 30% of the batters he faced at Double-A and Triple-A in 2025), he has velocity (touches 98 mph), and he has a bat-missing secondary pitch (slider). He also toys around with a curveball. Petit is a massive human -- he's listed at 6-foot-8 and 300 pounds -- and, given the state of Colorado's pitching staff, he stands a good chance to stick in their MLB bullpen in 2026.

2. White Sox: RHP Jedixson Paez (Red Sox)

A control artist, Paez will turn only 22 in January, and he's never pitched above Single-A. That jump to the big leagues makes it unlikely he will stay on Chicago's roster next season, though it's worth a shot. Paez was limited to 19 ⅓ innings by a calf injury in 2025, during which he struck out 23 and walked three. He sits low-90s and has four other pitches (curveball, changeup, two sliders). Paez is a project, though the command is very good. If the velocity ever ticks up, he could be a valuable big leaguer.

3. Nationals: RHP Griff McGarry (Phillies)

Once a top 100 prospect, McGarry's stock has fallen the last few seasons, though he has enough talent to remain on at least one team's radar. Here's what our R.J. Anderson wrote about him in our Rule 5 Draft preview:

There's undeniable talent here, but it's overshadowed by unreliable usability. He spent most of last season in Double-A, a step back from the year before, and all you need to know about this performance is that he walked nearly 15% of the batters he faced. McGarry has quality stuff, including a heater that sits in the mid-90s and a nasty sweeper, so if he ever unlocks a little more command he's going to be a force coming out of some team's bullpen.

McGarry's walk issues could make it tough to stick next year, though the Nationals are in position to ride it out for a while.

4. Giants via Twins: C Daniel Susac (Athletics)

A trade! The Twins selected Susac with their Rule 5 Draft pick and immediately traded him to the Giants for minor-league catcher Miguel Carabello, the team announced. Rule 5 Draft trades like this are arranged ahead of time. The Twins were not planning to make a Rule 5 Draft pick for themselves, so they found a team that wanted to move up and brokered a deal. The Giants did it because they really wanted Susac but weren't sure he would make it to their pick. Susac, 24, slugged 18 home runs in Triple-A this past season and has the tools to be a dingers-and-defense backup catcher. His older brother, Andrew, played six years in the big leagues, including 2014-15 with the Giants. Carabello is a 17 year old who played 2025 in the Dominican Summer League, the lowest level of the minors. He's a long shot lottery ticket.

5. Rangers via Pirates: RHP Carter Baumler (Orioles)

Injuries, including shoulder trouble, have limited Baumler to 88 ⅔ innings since 2021. He struck out 46 batters with a 2.04 ERA in 39 ⅔ innings in 2025, finally reaching Double-A. When healthy, Baumler works with an upper-90s fastball that has analytics-friendly traits (i.e. rise at the top of the zone) and a hard mid-80s curveball. He finished this past season healthy and the Rangers surely did their homework before making a trade with the Pirates to get him in the Rule 5 Draft. Pittsburgh received cash and minor-league righty Jaiker Garcia in the trade, the team announced. Garcia, a former infielder, converted to pitching in 2023.

6. Athletics: RHP Ryan Watson (Giants)

Watson, 28, is another hard-thrower who has missed a lot of time with injuries. That is standard fare in the Rule 5 Draft. This past season, Watson threw 50 ⅓ innings with 64 strikeouts and only 14 unintentional walks, and he played the entire year in Triple-A. That upper-level success, plus a mid-90s fastball and good slider, give Watson a chance to stick with the Giants in 2026.

7. Cardinals: RHP Matt Pushard (Marlins)

Similar to Watson, Pushard is a Triple-A battle-tested reliever who had a strong 2025: 3.61 ERA with close to a 30.0% strikeout rate in 62 ⅓ innings. Here's what our R.J. Anderson wrote about Pushard in our Rule 5 Draft preview:

Pushard celebrated his 28th birthday in October, making him the oldest player on this list -- blame that on the fact he didn't turn professional (as an undrafted free agent) until just before his 25th birthday. Pushard, a Maine native, could be on the cusp of making his big-league debut if he's selected this week. His arsenal includes a mid-90s fastball and a couple of average or better breaking balls. It doesn't take much of an imagination to envision him slotting in as a middle relief option.  

Pushard was considered one of the most MLB-ready players available in the Rule 5 Draft and it was something of a surprise when Miami didn't add him to their 40-man roster prior to the protection deadline in November.

8. Astros: RHP Roddery Muñoz (Reds)

Every so often, a player with MLB experience gets picked in the Rule 5 Draft, and that happened with Muñoz. The 25-year-old has bounced around waivers the last few years and he pitched to a 6.78 ERA in 93 ⅔ big-league innings with the Marlins in 2024 and the Cardinals in 2025. Houston will see whether they can unlock Muñoz's mid-90s sinker, low-90s cutter, and upper-80s slider. 

9. Guardians: RHP Peyton Pallette (White Sox)

In 2022, Pallette was considered a candidate to go No. 1 overall in the amateur draft, though he never pitched that spring because of Tommy John surgery. He fell to the second round and has since moved to the bullpen, where he had a 4.06 ERA with a 32.5% strikeout rate in 64 ⅓ innings in 2025, most in Triple-A. Pallette works with a mid-90s fastball and two breaking balls. Cleveland is one of the top pitching organizations in the game. It stands to reason Pallette has a good chance to stick in their bullpen next year.

10. Blue Jays: RHP Spencer Miles (Giants)

Miles missed all of 2023 with back surgery, then most of 2024 and all of 2025 with Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound in the Arizona Fall League in October, where he allowed five runs in 8 ⅔ innings while striking out 12 and walking one. Miles sat mid-90s with his four-seamer and sinker in the desert and also showed a slider, a curveball, and a changeup. It can be difficult for contending teams to keep a Rule 5 Draft pick because they need players who can help them win, so the odds are stacked against Miles in 2026. The defending American League champion Blue Jays are at least willing to give the 25-year-old a look in spring training.

11. Yankees: RHP Cade Winquest (Cardinals)

Winquest, 25, is the rare Rule 5 Draft pick who spent his most recent season as a healthy starting pitcher. He made 23 starts and threw 103 innings, mostly in Double-A, and had a 3.99 ERA with a 48.0% round ball rate. Winquest sits mid-90s with his fastball and his go-to secondary pitch is a curveball. He also has a changeup. It will be basically impossible for the Yankees to deploy Winquest as a starter in 2026 while also contending. More likely, he'll be a low-leverage long man, if he makes the roster. He is the first Yankees Rule 5 pick since 2011.

12. Phillies: RHP Zach McCambley (Marlins)

A slider monster, McCambley leaned on his mid-80s bender as much as any pitch in 2025, during which he had a 2.90 ERA with 83 strikeouts and 20 unintentional walks in 62 relief innings. The 26-year-old made it up to Triple-A and also has a mid-90s fastball and a cutter. It can be difficult for a contender to hide a Rule 5 Draft pick on their active roster all season, though McCambley has the stuff to be a big league factor in the future.

13. White Sox: RHP Alexander Alberto (Rays)

The White Sox were the only team to make two Rule 5 Draft picks this year. Alberto is a big guy (6-foot-8 and 203 pounds) who has touched 100 mph with his cutter, and also has an upper-80s slider. That two-pitch arsenal allowed the 24-year-old to run a 2.59 ERA with a 30.6% strikeout rate in 48 ⅔ innings in 2025, none above Single-A. Occasional control issues and the fact he's never pitched at or above Double-A make it unlikely Alberto will stick in 2026, but for the White Sox, he's a worthwhile roll of the dice, especially in the second round of the Rule 5 Draft.