The deadline for protecting a player from being claimed in the Rule 5 Draft is Tuesday, November 17 at 6:00 pm ET. The New York Mets have 35 eligible players but the majority of them will not be protected. Teams only protect players they expect to be claimed and do not want to lose. During the 2021-22 lockout, the Rule 5 Draft was canceled, but teams have been instructed to act as if there will be one this time around.

Any player the Mets want to protect will need to be added to the 40-man roster. The Mets’ 40-man roster is currently full so they will need to remove players to add players they want to protect. If the Mets would like to claim anyone unprotected by another club, they will need to make room before the draft.

What is the Rule 5 Draft?

Per MLB.com, “Held each December, the Rule 5 Draft allows clubs without a full 40-man roster to select certain non-40-man roster players from other clubs. Clubs draft in reverse order of the standings from the previous season. Players signed at age 18 or younger need to be added to their club’s 40-man roster within five seasons or they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Players who signed at age 19 or older need to be protected within four seasons.”

Any team that claims a player must pay $100,000 to the club of the player they select. That player must spend the entirety of the season on the major-league roster or, assuming they clear waivers, they will be returned to the club they were selected from. If the player is placed on the injured list and is not on the active roster for at least 90 days, these rules carry over to the next season.

Ronny Mauricio. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

What Players Have the Mets Protected And Lost in the Cohen Era?

The Mets have protected six players in the Cohen era from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft and three of them are currently on the 40-man roster.

  • Before 2022 season – Ronny Mauricio – still on the 40-man roster
  • Before 2022 season – Mark Vientos – still on the 40-man roster
  • Before 2022 season – José Butto – Traded to the Giants during the 2025 season for Tyler Rogers
  • Before 2022 season – Adam Oller – Traded to the Athletics before the 2022 season for Chris Bassitt
  • Before 2024 season – Alex Ramirez – No longer in the organization
  • Before 2026 season – Nick Morabito – still on the 40-man roster

The Mets have had three players claimed from them in the Rule Five Draft in the Cohen era. Two of them ended up returned to the Mets.

  • Before 2022 season – Dedniel Núñez – Claimed by the Giants and eventually returned to the Mets. Currently on the 40-man roster at the time of writing
  • Before 2024 season – Nate Lavender – Claimed by the Rays and eventually returned to the Mets. Currently on the 40-man roster at the time of writing
  • Before 2024 season – Mike Vasil – Claimed by the White Sox and currently on the injured list due to Tommy John surgery

Hayden Senger is the only player on the Mets’ 40-man roster that went unprotected, went unclaimed, and is on the Mets current 40-man roster at the time of writing.

What Players Have the Mets Claimed In The Rule 5 Draft?

The Mets have not been very active in the Rule 5 Draft in the Cohen era to claim players to be part of the roster, mostly grabbing them to flip them for cash or prospects.

Randy Guzman by Ed Delany / MMO

Rule 5 Eligible Players In High-A

The Mets have 10 players in High-A that they almost definitely will not protect and are incredibly unlikely to be claimed.

Rule 5 Eligible Candidates In Double-A

Double-A players are more likely to be claimed than High-A players but most likely these individuals will be unprotected and unclaimed. The Mets have 12 players in Double-A that are Rule 5 Eligible.

Nick Lorusso. Photo Credit: Rick Nelson

Rule 5 Candidates In Triple-A Unlikely to be Protected

Felipe De La Cruz (RP)

Felipe De La Cruz did put up good results in 2026 but across two seasons in Triple-A has a 6.00 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. With the Mets meeting with multiple left-handed free agent relievers, he is unlikely to be held on the 40-man roster.

Saul Garcia (RP)

Saul Garcia put up good results in his small Triple-A sample but did so without striking out many batters. This type of reliever tends to be easy to replicate and are typically not protected.

Nick Lorusso (3B/1B/2B)

Nick Lorusso struggled heavily in Triple-A hitting .217 with a .651 OPS and does not play a premium defensive position.

Kevin Parada (C)

The former first-round pick, Kevin Parada, went unclaimed in the 2025 Rule 5 Draft and was just okay offensively in 2026 while continuing to not show great defense.

D’Andre Smith (CF/LF/2B)

D’Andre Smith put up great results in Triple-A but he is entering his age-26 season and his under-the-hood metrics looked similar to previous years.

Jefferson Rojas. Photo Credit: Syracuse Mets

Candidates To Be Protected

Ryan Clifford (1B/LF/RF)

The Case For:

Less than a year ago, Baseball Prospectus named Ryan Clifford the 86th-best prospect in baseball. He hits the ball harder than most players in the minor leagues with a 91.5 mph average exit velocity and 106.9 mph 90% exit velocity. He excels at pulling the ball and in his small sample after going on the development list he put up better contact rates and results.

The Case Against:

He was 1st percentile in zone-contact rate and hit .180 with a .640 OPS. It is rare players with those stats get claimed, let alone one that spent time on the development list the season before the draft.

Verdict: Unlikely to be protected

Zach Franklin (RP)

The Case For:

The Mets traded for Zach Franklin with the knowledge they would need to protect him this offseason and he rewarded them with a 1.72 ERA and 1.02 WHIP across 13 2/3 innings. He is able to go multiple innings and throws three-plus pitches with good movement and significant whiff.

The Case Against:

These types of middle relievers tend not to get claimed and when they do they tend to get returned at some point in the season. His success with the Mets was a small sample and his results were much worse before the deadline with the White Sox Triple-A club.

Verdict: Likely to be protected

Gary Gill Hill (SP)

The Case For:

Similar to Franklin, the Mets traded for Gary Gill Hill knowing he would be need to be protected in the Rule 5 Draft. He put up a 3.76 ERA and 1.22 WHIP across five starts and ended with one start in Triple-A. He improved his slider with the Mets and could be positioned to make starts in the majors in 2027.

The Case Against:

Gill Hill is not an elite starter and may not be ready to start opening day which could make him less likely to be claimed.

Verdict: Likely to be protected

Jacob Reimer (3B/1B)

The Case For:

Baseball Prospectus ranked Jacob Reimer as the 70th best prospect in baseball before the 2026 season and he had an up-and-down 2026 full of injuries. He is currently mashing in winter ball and if he bounces back could be a factor in the majors for the Mets in 2027.

The Case Against:

Coming off an injury-plagued 2026 where his contact rates fluctuated, teams may be unwilling to dedicate a full season of a major league roster spot on Reimer.

Verdict: Likely to be protected

Jefferson Rojas (3B/SS/2B)

The Case For:

Jefferson Rojas is a clear top-100 prospect who took a big step forward and could force his way onto the Mets’ opening day roster.

The Case Against:

Are they really going to gamble on there not being a Rule Five Draft?

Verdict: Will be protected

Ben Simon (RP)

The Case For:

President of baseball operations David Stearns said that he wants more flexibility in the bullpen and a homegrown reliever with options would fit that. Ben Simon has multiple plus pitches and put up good results in 2026.

The Case Against:

Ben Simon, despite having plus pitches, struggles to generate whiff. He is both a type of player who tends to go unclaimed, and if claimed is unlikely to not be returned at some point in the season.

Verdict: Unlikely to be protected

Chris Suero (C/CF/LF)

The Case For:

Chris Suero has unique positional versatility between catcher and the outfield, and while he is not a great defender, he could make a case to replace Hayden Senger as the depth catcher.

The Case Against:

Suero just barely crossed the Mendoza Line at the end of the season hitting .201 with a very poor 72.1% zone-contact rate and 28.9% strikeout rate. He is unlikely to be claimed, and if he is there is a good chance he gets returned to the Mets.

Verdict: Unlikely to be protected

Jack Wenninger (SP)

The Case For:

Jack Wenninger started the season making top-100 prospect noise and if the Mets could get him back there he could be a backend starter or more. With his issues maintaining velocity, he could still impact the 2027 team as a reliever, and potentially even a leverage one, which means he could be a clear target to claim.

The Case Against:

The Mets have many strong pitching options and if they do not have faith in Wenninger taking a step forward they may not care if he is claimed.

Verdict: Likely to be protected

Final Verdict

The players most likely to be protected are Jefferson Rojas, Gary Gill Hill, Jacob Reimer, Zach Franklin, and Jack Wenninger. It is possible the Mets do gamble on there not being a Rule 5 Draft and only protect Rojas.

What happens Tuesday will tell fans both what they think of these players and the possibility of a Rule 5 Draft.