Discussing the art of the MLB vs. MiLB phases of protection, here’s some background via the ultimate Rule 5 guru, JJ Cooper of Baseball America, and we thank him for these insights:
“Any Rule 5-eligible player who is not on a 40-man MLB roster is available to be picked in the MLB phase of the Rule 5 draft, while all players not on the 38-player Triple-A rosters are available to be picked in the MiLB Rule 5 draft. So, when it comes to the MLB Rule 5 draft, players on the 38-player Triple-A rosters are really the only players who get picked. If a player is available for the MiLB Rule 5 draft, it just makes too much sense to wait and pick them in a draft where there are no onerous roster restrictions.
Similarly, MLB clubs move players who are not Rule 5-eligible off of Triple-A rosters in paper transactions once the offseason commences. It makes no sense for the Twins to leave Walker Jenkins (who finished the year in Triple-A) on the St. Paul roster when that spot can be used to protect another player from the MiLB Rule 5 draft. So, Jenkins has been transferred to the Double-A Wichita roster for procedural reasons. There may be some MiLB free agents whose signings have not yet been made public who are Rule 5-eligible but are not included on projected team lists.”
So, these modified AAA rosters are not something that’s ever made public by MLB teams or MiLB affiliate pages. The Brewers actual AAA roster for Rule 5 purposes is invisible to us. For Milwaukee, this AAA roster nuance currently affects only one player on Nashville’s AAA roster as of its MiLB.com link – LHP Tate Kuehner finished the 2025 season with the Nashville Sounds but is not yet Rule 5 eligible with only three professional seasons under his belt.
The Brewers could place as many as 38 players on the “invisible” AAA roster to keep them from being picked in the minor league phase of Rule 5. In theory, that would only expose two players to the minor league phase. However, it’s likely Milwaukee will protect less than 38, perhaps quite a few less.
The first reason for doing so is to allow space for Milwaukee to take players from other organizations in the minor league phase, as the Brewers have often done (Isaac Collins, anyone?). If the team maxed out the 38-player list from the start and didn’t lose any player in the MLB phase, there would be no room at all to grab a player like OF Garrett Spain, who the Brewers claimed from Toronto last year at this time, and who remains in the organization.
The second reason a player might be exposed to the minor league phase is in “as a favor” fashion. Going back to 2012, then-General Manager Doug Melvin indicated that infielder Eric Farris had been exposed (and subsequently selected by Seattle) as a professional courtesy in order to provide a better chance at a future career for the player. It’s quite possible that of the many players the organization has lost in the minor league phase in the ensuing years, some were left unprotected with similar thinking, though it’s rare for a GM to indicate such openly.
The names below are listed by the most recent level in which they saw action. An asterisk next to a player’s name indicates that this is their first year of Rule 5 eligibility.
While all these players were certainly reviewed by the Crew’s decision-makers when addition to the big-league 40-man roster was considered earlier this fall, only RHP Coleman Crow, on the cusp of minor league free agency, was formally added. Crow was on a list like the one you see here last year at this time, but his injury status had teams wary and (thankfully) he was not plucked by another organization last December.
There had been speculation that RHP Blake Holub and LHP Brian Fitzpatrick might join Crow on the 40-man this fall. As such, they may be potential targets on Wednesday.
The minor league phase can always lead to unexpected names appearing, both coming and going.
Here’s to a productive Winter Meetings for the Brewers, including Wednesday’s Rule 5 Draft which concludes the week’s events in Orlando.
P.S. The buzz around 40-man roster status and Rule 5 protection and exposure for Crew prospects is going to be over the top insane next year based on the volume and quality of prospects “coming due”. There will be plenty of dialogue to rapture us throughout next year’s minor league season in preparation for December 2026.
AAA Nashville:
AA Biloxi:
High-A Wisconsin:
A-Ball Carolina:
Rookie Maryvale:
Interested in learning more about the Milwaukee Brewers’ top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!
