Tigers prospects to look out for as Scott Harris weighs Rule 5 roster additions

The World Series is not even over and there are rumors swirling in Detroit. Tarik Skubal's free agency is dominating headlines, Kevin McGonigle won Baseball America's Rookie of the Year (and hopefully AL Rookie of the Year as well) after a rookie season that put him in elite company, and everyone wants to know what Scott Harris does next. But one of the winter's most important decisions will fly under the radar: the Rule 5 draft.

Never heard of it? Here's the short version: players who signed at 18 or younger become eligible after five pro seasons, college players after four. If a team doesn't add an eligible player to its 40-man roster by the November deadline, another club can draft him in December for $100,000, but has to keep him on its big-league roster all season. Protect too few and you risk losing talent for nothing, but protect too many and the 40-man gets crowded fast and affects your free agent signings.

Which Tigers prospects Scott Harris needs to protect from the Rule 5 Draft

The headliners are clear. Josue Briceño played just 42 games due to injuries but still hit nine homers with a .479 slugging percentage, and his lefty power is too valuable to expose. Max Anderson, Baseball America's Tigers Minor League Player of the Year, hit .302 with 15 homers at Toledo. And Izaac Pacheco, who went unprotected and unpicked last winter, answered with 21 homers and an .821 OPS at Erie.

Then there are the sleepers. Most Rule 5 pitchers usually stick as relievers, since starting all season with no big-league experience is a big ask, so clubs are typically chasing two-pitch arms who can handle 40 to 60 innings and still grow under their team control. So let’s dig a little and talk about a few guys who Scott Harris will have to make some tough decisions about.

Peyton Graham, SS/2B/OF

The 2022 second-rounder out of Oklahoma set an Erie franchise record with 66 steals while hitting .290/.397/.429. That speed and versatility is exactly what Rule 5 teams shop for, and something Harris should strongly consider, since they finished 29th in stolen bases in 2026.

Tanner Kohlhepp, RHP

The Notre Dame product lived in the bullpen this past year in Double-A, posting a 3.86 ERA with 71 strikeouts and a 1.02 WHIP over 63 innings in 44 appearances, and has been a reliever his whole professional career (just seven career starts). Kohlhepp has been Rule 5-eligible since 2024, but some scouts see him as a potential surpise pick or protection this season likely because of his K/9, having struck out 224 batters in 179 career innings.

Joe Miller, LHP

The former Penn and Savannah Bananas lefty made 20 starts in 23 outings, posting a 3.95 ERA with 87 strikeouts over 82 innings. At that workload, another club would likely see him as a swingman or bulk reliever, but I think Scott Harris may protect him and add some depth and flexibility in the pen.

All of this comes with a grain of salt, though. The Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on Dec. 1, and the last time baseball went into a lockout, in 2021, the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft was postponed and eventually canceled altogether. So, if you believe history repeats itself, it seems there's a real chance this situation won’t even exist.

If the draft does happens, there's another wrinkle. Players on the 40-man roster can't use team facilities, while those left off can, so clubs may think twice before claiming a player they can't work with, giving Detroit more room to roll the dice on a borderline name.

Whatever happens, Harris will find a way. He's pushed deeper into the international market, and Chris Ilitch has said exceeding the luxury tax is "really not an issue" if Harris wants to add. With ownership's blessing, nothing is off the table.

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