Minnesota Twins Protect Two Rule 5 Prospects in 40-Man Moves

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Minnesota Twins
Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Tuesday represented a notable day on the Major League Baseball offseason calendar. Teams are required to have their 40-man roster set prior to the 6pm CT deadline. That means adding Rule 5 Draft eligible players or risk them being selected during the draft that takes place in December. The Twins had a handful of candidates to consider and made a straightforward move as well as a surprising one.

Marco Raya added to the Minnesota Twins 40-man

The 2020 Major League Baseball Draft was a weird one. It took place during the pandemic and was shortened to just five rounds. Marco Raya was Minnesota’s fourth round pick, and he has become the best prospect of the bunch. The guaranteed lock to make his debut on the 40-man roster became the first announcement on Tuesday.

Raya reached Triple-A to end the season and made a single start. He went five innings and struck out four in a scoreless appearance. It was a very nice bow to put on an otherwise interesting season. The Twins consistently handled him with kid gloves, and his 24 starts at Double-A shake out to just over three innings per outing.

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There was debate as to whether it was Raya or rookie David Festa that held the title of best Twins pitching prospect. Festa made it to the big leagues first, but Raya could join him with a strong start in 2025.

Related: Former Minnesota Twins Closer Makes BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot

Of note, Aaron Sabato was Minnesota’s first round pick in 2020. He has been a bust, went unprotected, and is eligible to be drafted by another organization this winter.

Twins add Travis Adams to 40-man as well

Raya was the lone addition to the 40-man from the 2020 Draft. That means prospect Kala’i Rosario will be surprisingly unprotected during the upcoming Rule 5 Draft. MLB Pipeline called him the toughest decision, but they definitely didn’t see Travis Adams being the alternative. Adams was a sixth round selection in 2021, and took the 37th spot on Minnesota’s 40-man roster.

Last season Adams spent the majority of his time at Double-A Wichita. He pitched 19 innings at Triple-A for the Saints but had limited success. With the Wind Surge, Adams posted a 3.67 ERA across 108 innings. His 9.1 K/9 was impressive, and he adds pitching depth at the highest level of the farm system.

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It seems straightforward to suggest that Adams may have somewhat of a limited ceiling. However, he has remained consistent at each stop since the Twins took him out of Sacramento State. The California native will be 25 years old in 2026.

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Some of the biggest names the Twins could lose during the Rule 5 Draft include the aforementioned Rosario as well as Ricardo Olivar, Christian MacLeod, and Jovani Moran. Minnesota’s 40-man roster currently sits at 37 players. They will have multiple arbitration decisions to make this week as well. More surprises could be in store.

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