Brewers Rule 5 protection candidates
- RHP Logan Henderson
- RHP Chad Patrick
- RHP Coleman Crow
- 1B Wes Clarke
- OF Carlos D. Rodriguez
- 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr
- RHP Shane Smith
It's too long to list all of the Brewers minor leaguers eligible for Rule 5 selection this winter, but let's highlight the likeliest candidates for selection to either the Brewers 40 man or to another team's in the Rule 5 Draft in December.
Logan Henderson is the highest rated prospect eligible and a near-lock to be added to the 40 man roster by the deadline. Henderson reached Triple-A and had a 3.32 ERA in 19 starts this season. He's one of the Brewers best pitching prospects and is likely to make some big league starts in 2025.
The next two are certainly deserving candidates in Chad Patrick and Coleman Crow. Patrick won the pitching Triple Crown in the Triple-A International League this year and even though he's not a highly touted prospect, he's proven as much as he possibly can at Triple-A. Crow came over in the Tyrone Taylor trade last winter and missed all season recovering from TJS. He's in the Arizona Fall League presently to get some work in. Because he's just now getting healthy, the Brewers can likely get by the Rule 5 Draft without protecting him.
Some players with longer odds that the Brewers could still ultimately protect include a trio of hitters and a breakout pitching prospect in Shane Smith. Smith had a 3.05 ERA in 94.1 IP this year, transitioning to the rotation and reaching Triple-A. Someone could snag him if the Brewers opt not to protect him.
As for those hitters, Wes Clarke is a corner power bat that has put up some solid numbers and reached Triple-A. Ernesto Martinez is an exciting young slugger that dominated Double-A, so he may not warrant protection just yet, but he's getting closer. Carlos D. Rodriguez is an outfielder that hits for a very high average with very little power, but he can play all three spots and could be a solid outfield depth piece for Milwaukee to have on their 40 man if they cut bait with someone like Brewer Hicklen.