Colorado Rockies likely to add players today to their 40-man roster

Monday, November 20, is a day that looms large for the Colorado Rockies. By 6 p.m. Mountain time tonight, the Rockies must complete (as much as they like in order to leave space for free agents, etc.) their 40-man roster to prepare for the Rule 5 draft which will take place at next month’s Baseball Winter Meetings in Orlando.

It is not only a time when the Rockies can plan ahead but also tip their hand to where they think future players might be in terms of their progress. By placing a player on the 40-man roster, they are protecting that player’s rights. It’s also not a move that the Rockies or any Major League team takes lightly.

In case you are unfamiliar with the Rule 5 draft, it is an interesting process … and one that teams can not use just because they feel like it. A Rule 5 draftee must be kept in the team’s Major League 25-man roster for the entire next season or he is offered back to the team which lost him at half the price. It’s an interesting process and you can learn more about it by clicking here.

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Last December, the Boston Red Sox selected Josh Rutledge from the Rockies in the Rule 5 draft around a month after the Rockies had signed Rutledge to a minor league deal … after he left the Red Sox. Yes, the Rule 5 draft can get interesting.

Colorado faces some big decisions today. The Rockies currently have 33 players on their 40-man roster so they will be adding some names to the roster later today. Noel Cuevas and Jairo Diaz were recently added to the 40-man roster to protect them. More players will be added on Monday.

So who could be added to the 40-man roster? Any number of players. However, one of the biggest things to know about adding a player to the roster at this time is that, according to MLB.com, players first signed at age 18 must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process. Players signed at 19 years or older have to be protected within four seasons.

Next: Why the Rockies were awarded a Competitive Balance pick in the 2018 draft

We will keep you updated with the latest personnel moves as they happen today.