Fiction can be fun! But I find the reference section far more stimulating.

Bart Given’s Inside the Majors is quickly turning into a favorite here at Feeder League. Given draws upon his expertise as a former assistant GM for the Blue Jays to explain how the Rule 5 Draft return process works.

Of all the MLB drafts, Rule 5 is the least draft-like, as it deals with players who are already in Major League organizations and have spent time there for a while. Really, it’s more of a forced waiver transaction. If a player was over 19 when he was signed and has spent three years in the minors, he’s eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft. (If he was 18 or younger and has spent four years in the minors, he’s also eligible.) If the player is selected by another team, he’s automatically placed on the new team’s 40-man roster, but if he doesn’t wind up on the new team’s 25-man roster for the entirety of the next season, he has to be offered back to the original team.

Given spends some time getting into the heads of players who ultimately don’t make the 25-man roster on the new team. “In [the player's] mind,” he says, “the original team didn’t think he was a good enough prospect to protect on the 40-man roster, conversely the team selecting him valued his skill enough to pay $50,000 to acquire him and reserve him on the 40-man roster.  Typically, the claiming organization’s management and coaching staff have been talking glowingly about him since he arrived.  The local media in all likelihood has written articles about his talent and opportunity, probably hinting about how his former organization made a mistake leaving him unprotected.  The Rule 5 Draft has made him somewhat of a celebrity, now he is returning to anonymity.  Emotional roller coaster for sure.”

Expect to hear a good deal more about Rule 5 as Spring Training runs down. The more you know!

Source.

Joe Blancato bart given, draft, inside the majors, rule 5