Mayo: Prospects who face 40-man/Rule 5 decision

Most of the attention about this week of the offseason is given to the awards handed out to the game’s best players. But while the hardware is being allocated, all 30 organizations are mulling over other coveted rewards: spots on the 40-man roster.

Every team has until Friday to declare which players to add to their 40-man rosters. Those left unprotected will be exposed to selection by the 29 other teams in the Rule 5 Draft, at the Winter Meetings in National Harbor, Md. on Dec. 8.

Players first signed at age 18 must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process. Players signed at 19 years or older have to be protected within four seasons. Clubs pay $50,000 to select a player in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. If that player doesn’t stay on the 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $25,000.

For this year, that means an international or high school Draft pick signed in 2012 — assuming he was 18 or younger as of June 5 of that year — has to be protected. A college player taken in the 2013 Draft is in the same position. There are 12 players on MLBPipeline.com’s Top 100 Prospects list who need to be protected or become exposed to the Rule 5 Draft, led by Mets shortstop Amed Rosario at No. 11.

Rank, Name, Position, Organization 11. Amed Rosario, SS, Mets 14. Lewis Brinson, OF, Brewers 18. Jorge Mateo, SS/2B, Yankees 19. Willy Adames, SS, Rays 33. Josh Hader, LHP, Brewers 42. Franklin Barreto, SS, A’s 48. Nick Williams, OF, Phillies 52. Jesse Winker, OF, Reds 62. Brett Phillips, OF, Brewers 74. Richard Urena, SS, Blue Jays 84. Francisco Mejia, C, Indians 86. Anthony Alford, OF, Blue Jays

Last year, there were 11 Top 100 players who needed to be protected and, not surprisingly, all 11 were added to 40-man rosters.

There obviously are many more Minor Leaguers under consideration. There are 144 prospects on organizational Top 30 lists hoping to get added to a roster this week. Five of them are No. 1 prospects in their organization.

In 2015, there were a total of 156 prospects who were on organizational Top 30 lists vying for a roster spot. In the end, 75 were protected. Of the 81 unprotected Top 30 prospects, six were selected in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 …

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