MLB Rule 5 Draft

E29024

The MLB Rule 5 Draft is an annual mechanism that allows Major League Baseball teams to select certain unprotected minor league players from other organizations’ systems to promote competitive balance and prevent talent hoarding.

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Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form Occurrences
Major League Rule 5 Draft 1
Rule 5 Draft 1

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Major League Baseball draft mechanism
sports draft
affects MLB roster construction
minor league player development paths
player movement
alsoKnownAs MLB Rule 5 Draft
surface form: Major League Rule 5 Draft

MLB Rule 5 Draft
surface form: Rule 5 Draft
appliesToLeague Major League Baseball
competitiveEffect limits long-term control of large minor league reserves by single clubs
consequenceOfNonCompliance if original club declines, player may be outrighted to minors
player must be offered back to original club
draftOrderDeterminedBy reverse order of previous season standings
draftOrderPriority teams with worse records pick earlier
economicEffect provides low-cost acquisition route for MLB talent
eligibilityCriterion player has required minimum professional service time
player is under contract with another MLB organization
player not on 40-man roster
frequency annual
governedBy Official Baseball Rules
surface form: Major League Rules
governingBody Major League Baseball
hasComponent Major League phase
Minor League phase
hasRestriction teams may pass on their selection
teams must have open 40-man roster spot to make a Major League phase pick
heldDuring MLB Winter Meetings
historicalPrecedent earlier forms of player draft and selection rules in organized baseball
introducedToAddress stockpiling of minor league talent by wealthier clubs
legalStatus collectively bargained mechanism between MLB and MLBPA
majorLeaguePhaseEffect player must be kept on MLB active roster or offered back
minorLeaguePhaseEffect player becomes property of selecting club without roster restrictions
origin Rule 5 of the Official Professional Baseball Rules
playerBenefit gives blocked minor leaguers a path to MLB playing time
primaryPurpose prevent talent hoarding
promote competitive balance
provide opportunities for minor league players
relatedTo MLB 40-man roster rules
MLB Draft
surface form: MLB amateur draft

minor league option rules
requires payment of draft fee to player’s original club
players to be placed on 40-man roster to be protected
rosterRequirement selected player must be kept on selecting club’s active MLB roster for full season
selected player must remain on 26-man roster except for injured list stints
selectionRight MLB clubs may select eligible players from other organizations
selectionSource minor league systems of other MLB organizations
sport baseball
typicalTiming December

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

MLB Rule 5 Draft alsoKnownAs MLB Rule 5 Draft
this entity surface form: Rule 5 Draft
MLB Rule 5 Draft alsoKnownAs MLB Rule 5 Draft
this entity surface form: Major League Rule 5 Draft
MLB Draft relatedTo MLB Rule 5 Draft