Brewers Rule 5 Draft Preview: 10 Names To Consider Selecting, 5 Who Could Be Poached

The annual Rule 5 Draft is here. The event serves as a de facto closing ceremonies for baseball's Winter Meetings. The Milwaukee Brewers have the chance to add players to their organization or potentially lose players.

Before we get into the names the Brewers could select, here's a quick refresher on how the Rule 5 Draft works.

Minor league players who are not on the 40 man roster who have enough minor league service time if you will, are eligible to be selected by other organizations. This gives players who may be blocked or not getting a big league opportunity with their current club a chance to get to the major leagues. The teams pay a small fee to draft the player and if they don't work out, they can return them to their original team and get half their money back.

Rule 5 selections must stay on the major league roster for the entirety of the next season. They cannot be optioned down, and if injured, they must be active for a minimum of 90 days.

Last season, the Brewers selected reliever Gus Varland from the Dodgers. He made the Opening Day roster but could not stick in the big leagues and was offered back to Los Angeles. This year, could the Brewers make another selection?

Following the signings of Jackson Chourio, Wade Miley, and Joe Ross, the Brewers 40 man roster currently stands at 38, meaning they do have room to select a player or even two in the Rule 5 Draft.

Here are 10 candidates that the Brewers should consider selecting in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft.

Hitters

1. Blaine Crim, 1B, Rangers

Blaine Crim lit up Triple-A this season, hitting .289/.385/.506 with 31 doubles, 22 homers, and an .891 OPS. He's a first baseman that isn't known for his glove but he draws walks, hits for power, and fills a position of need. The Brewers need a power infusion and they need first base options. Giving Crim a shot may be worthwhile.

2. Troy Johnston, 1B, Marlins

Johnston is a little undersized for a first baseman at 5'11", but he hit .307 with 26 homers and 24 stolen bases in the upper levels of the minors this year and makes a lot of hard contact. He had 67 extra-base hits and just an 18% strikeout rate. He'd add power and on-base ability at a needed position in first base for the Brewers.

3. Trevor Hauver, 1B, Rangers

A former 3rd round pick, Hauver has some prospect pedigree and has put up some solid numbers. Last season for Double-A Frisco, Hauver slugged 12 homers with an .803 OPS in 107 games. He draws walks at a high clip and that on-base ability plus power potential is something the Brewers would like to see in a first baseman.

The Milwaukee Brewers have several prospects eligible to be selected by other teams this year. They protected their top players, Jeferson Quero and Bradley Blalock, but have left several more unprotected.

In recent years, the Brewers have been wise in their protection decisions. They haven't lost a player in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft since 2016 when Miguel Diaz was picked by the Padres. The Brewers have the 3rd longest active drought in baseball between Rule 5 Draft losses. Only the White Sox and Braves have gone longer without losing a player in the Draft.

Here are five Brewers minor leaguers who could get selected in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft.

1. RHP Evan McKendry

The Brewers traded for McKendry mid-season and he put up some solid numbers in Triple-A this year. He's a starter and he's close to the big leagues but the Brewers chose not to protect him even with their pitching depth problems. While the ceiling isn't very high, McKendry is a proven performer, he was 3rd in Triple-A in strikeouts among qualified pitchers. He's healthy, has high minors experience, and could intrigue another team.

2. RHP Justin Yeager

The Brewers got Yeager in the William Contreras trade. His first season with the Brewers didn't go as planned. He suffered an early injury, only making it into three games. He didn't give up a run in those games, and returned to play in the Arizona Fall League. He appeared in nine games and had a 6.23 ERA in a small sample, but may have impressed enough with his stuff.

3. OF Carlos D. Rodriguez

Not to be confused with the pitching prospect Carlos F. Rodriguez, Carlos D. Rodriguez is a contact-hitting outfielder. He just posted a .291 batting average in Double-A, which was 3rd in the Southern League among qualified hitters. He added 21 doubles, but lacks over-the-fence pop. He's a contact machine, striking out just 50 times all season. A team in need of an outfielder that can get on base could look at Rodriguez.

4. IF Cam Devanney

Cam Devanney would be a solid utility infield option for teams in search of one at the Rule 5 Draft. He hit .271/.362/.461 with 27 doubles, 11 homers, and an .823 OPS at Triple-A Nashville. While maybe lacking upside, Devanney can play all four infield spots and brings a solid bat. There's value in that and perhaps another team will give him a shot.

5. LHP Adam Seminaris

Seminaris only made 16 starts this year and the ERA wasn't good at 5.95, but there are some positives. He has upper minors experience, he has prospect pedigree, he kept walks down, and he was able to prove he was healthy in the Arizona Fall League. Some team could take a chance on Seminaris in the Rule 5 Draft.

Another name to reportedly watch is Tobias Myers, who was a starting pitcher for Double-A Biloxi this year. He ate up innings, leading the Southern League in innings and strikeouts, but his ERA was near 5.00.

The Rule 5 Draft is quite unpredictable. The Brewers aren't at risk of losing any important pieces. At the same time, they have a chance to add a talented player or two if they so choose. It's tougher for hitters to stick and relievers are commonly taken in the Rule 5 and that's a route the Brewers could go again.