What is the Rule 5 draft?
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2005 10:44 am
What is the Rule 5 draft?
Rule 5 draft
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Rule 5 draft is a draft specific to Major League Baseball that occurs at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. Its purpose is to prevent any one team from stockpiling too many talented young players in their minor league affiliates. Any player that has played professional baseball for more than 3 years, (or more than 4 years if signed before the age of 18) is eligible for the draft, provided they are not on a team's 40-man roster.
To prevent excessive turnover in the minor league levels, each draftee costs $50,000. If the draftee does not stay on the drafting team's 25-man (major league) roster all season, they must be offered back to their original team at half-price.