Tigers 2024 Rule 5 Draft: Full details, roster deadline, players who are eligible

An infusion of young, homegrown talent carried the Detroit Tigers on a magical postseason run in 2024. Now, with another wave of homegrown talent coming up through the farm system, the Tigers will have some tough decisions to make this offseason.

As we approach the Nov. 19 deadline for all 30 MLB clubs to set their 40-man rosters, the Tigers must decide which prospects they want to protect and which they want to risk losing this winter. Any player not added to his organization’s roster by the Nov. 19 deadline will become eligible to be picked up by another club in the Rule 5 Draft, which is set to take place Dec. 11 in Dallas.

Explaining MLB's Rule 5 Draft: What it is, who is eligible and when it takes place

The Rule 5 Draft occurs annually and allows teams to select players to add to their 40-man rosters in the reverse order of the previous season's standings. While many teams won't make a selection, those that do must also pay $100,000 to the team from which the player was selected.

A player becomes eligible for the Rule 5 Draft if he has not been added to his team's 40-man roster after a designated amount of time based on his age at which he was initially signed. Players signed at age 18 or younger become eligible after five seasons if they have not yet been added to their team's 40-man roster, while players signed at age 19 or older become Rule 5-eligible after four seasons.

With that in mind, any Rule 5 eligible prospects the Tigers don't want to risk losing to another club must be added to their 40-man roster before the Nov. 19 deadline.

5 of Tigers' Top 30 prospects are Rule 5 eligible this offseason

The Tigers have already made things slightly easier on themselves by calling up four of their Top 30 prospects – Jace Jung, Ty Madden, Brant Hurter and Trey Sweeney – in August. Now, they have just five Top-30 prospects who are Rule 5 eligible: RHP Joseph Montalvo (No. 16), OF Justice Bigbie (No. 21), OF Roberto Campos (No. 25), LHP Lael Lockhart (No. 26) and SS Gage Workman (No. 30). Of note, Montalvo was one of the prospects acquired from the Texas Rangers in exchange for Andrew Chafin at this year's trade deadline.

If the Tigers want to protect any of these prospects from being exposed in the Rule 5 Draft, they will need to add them to their 40-man roster – which is currently full. So, any prospect that's added will necessitate another rostered player being designated for assignment.

The Tigers have until Nov. 19 to decide which of their lower-ranked prospects, if any, have the best chance to contribute in Detroit next year as they look to build upon last year's playoff run. The clock is ticking.

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