2026 Rule 5 Draft – Who should the Royals protect? – 2026 Rule 5 Draft – Who should the Royals protect?

The Kansas City Royals are tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the worst record in baseball at 38-59.  Whether the 2026 season is swirling the bowl, in its death knells, one hair dryer away from being dropped into the bathtub, or the baseball equivalent of a priest reading the last rites, it will eventually end, and the Royals will field a team in 2027.  The 2026 season is nearly ready for the coroner, but the autopsy can still tell us plenty about what the 2027 roster should look like. The Rule 5 draft is usually reserved for off season discussion, but with so little life on the diamond, we should go the Frankenstein lab route to look ahead and see who may be added this off season to the 40 man roster to add a jolt of electric life to the roster.  If they are going to be added, should we get a preview of what they look like in the second half of 2026 at the MLB level?  

According to the MLB.com glossary: 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.

Not every club will make a selection, but those that do pick a player must pay $100,000 to the club from which said player was selected. Rule 5 Draft picks are assigned directly to the drafting club’s 26-man roster and must be placed on outright waivers in order to be removed from the 26-man roster in the subsequent season. Should the player clear waivers, he must be offered back to his previous team for $50,000 and can be outrighted to the Minors only if his original club does not wish to reacquire him. A Rule 5 Draft pick can be placed on the Major League injured list, but he must be active for a minimum of 90 days to avoid being subject to the aforementioned roster restrictions in the next campaign.

Clubs may trade a player selected in the Rule 5 Draft, but the same restrictions apply to the player’s new organization. However, a club may also work out a trade with the Rule 5 pick’s original club to acquire his full rights, thereby allowing him to be optioned to the Minors under traditional circumstances.

The Royals will be protecting players drafted from college in 2023 and before or International and high school players drafted or signed in 2022 and before.

There have been five Rule 5 Drafts since 2020 (the 2021 draft was canceled because of the MLB lockout). Since 2020, 69 players have been selected: 57 pitchers and 12 position players.

The position players break down as follows: four shortstops, three outfielders, two catchers, one first baseman, one second baseman, and one third baseman.

The Royals have made only one Rule 5 selection during that span, taking right-hander Matt Sauer from the New York Yankees in the 2023 draft. Coincidentally, that same draft also produced two other notable pitchers: Mitch Spence, who was selected first overall from the Yankees, and Steven Kolek, who was selected later in the draft from the Seattle Mariners organization.

The Royals have lost three players in the Rule 5 Draft during that time: Zach Pop in 2020, Robert Garcia in 2022, and Noah Murdock in 2024.

The average age of players selected is 24. Let’s look at the Royals organization and see who might be protected.

AAA

Ethan Bosacker RHP 6’2”/210 age 25

Bosacker is the only AAA player that is first time eligible for the Rule 5 draft.  As a comparison, the #1 ranked farm system by MLB.com to start 2026 is the Milwaukee Brewers.  They have six first time eligible Rule 5 draftees – two high school 2022 draftees and four 2023 college draft picks in AAA Nashville.  They also have an additional 2024 college draft pick on the Sounds roster. This speaks to just how far behind the Royals are compared to top farm systems.  I digress.

Bosacker started the season with Northwest Arkansas and earned a promotion to Omaha on June 12th.  Bosacker started two contests for the Naturals, throwing 9 innings giving up two runs while striking out five and walking two batters. Since the promotion to Omaha, control has been a problem.  Bosacker is walking at a nearly 1/1 ratio.  He has 24 walks against 31 strikeouts.  With a below average fastball sitting at 92mph, Bosacker will need to rely on his best pitch, a slider that rates tjStuff+ at 105. 

tjStuff+

Pitch Arsenal

The second half of 2026 is huge for Bosacker. If he can consolidate his pitches into a Cutter, Changeup, Slider, Curveball mix and find the strike zone more effectively he could be in line for a shot in the bullpen in 2026. Decision: TBD. 

Luca Tresh C R/R 6’0”/193 age 26

Back up catchers are always in demand.  Tresh has been solid at the AAA level and someone may take a chance on him.

Tresh clearly has some positives with the bat and a team in need of a back up catcher could be willing to take the chance on adding him to their 40 man roster.  In 2026 the Royals have already bypassed Tresh in favor of veterans Elias Diaz and Luke Maile when Salvador Perez has been banged up. Top prospects Blake Mitchell ranked #4 and Ramon Ramirez ranked #7 respectively on MiLB.com are at least one and probably two years away from their MLB debut. With Perez in decline in 2026 I think you reward your farm hands.  Maybe he becomes a useful trade piece after being exposed to part time play at the MLB level like Freddy Fermin.  Decision: Add Tresh to the 40 man roster.

Brett Squires 1B/OF L/R 6’3”/210 age 26

Squires has hit at every level.  In two stops in 2026 Squires has continued to rake.

Squires profile looks like he was made for the Royals. Lots of swing and miss. Doesn’t walk much, but when he connects, good things happen.  An undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma, Squires doesn’t just hit for power.  He is a willing base stealer and could provide an interesting combination of power and speed in a bench bat role…unless the Royals give him a shot after the trade deadline. I want to see what Squires brings to the table. Decision: Add Squires to the 40 man roster.

Peyton WIlson 2B S/R 5’9”/180 age 26

Peyton Wilson has put up a solid second season at Omaha since coming off the IL.  He spent two seasons at AA and improved in year two and has done the same thing in AAA.  Wilson could be viewed as a utility infielder with the ability to switch hit and provide a valuable bench piece to any team. The back up infielder role is crowded in KC. Loftin and Tolbert are the primary back ups.  Witt and Garcia aren’t going anywhere.  The Royals could recruit over Michael Massey but he is turning in a the campaign we hoped for in 2024 and 2025. Decision: Do not add Wilson to the 40 man roster.

AA

Felix Arronde RHP 6’3”/185 age 23

Arronde is a 2022 international signing and #12 Royals prospect on MiLB.com.  Rule 5 eligible last season, the Santa Clara, Cuba native received his first taste of midwest league competition in 2026.  A starting pitcher, Arronde sports a solid WHIP of 1.34 and almost a SO per IP.  He has always been a strike thrower.  He features a fastball that sits 94-95 but can touch 97.  Someone could view him as a bullpen flyer and see if his peripherals play up in shorter outings.  Arronde may be the most developed next starting pitcher up in a HUGE gap between our current 5th starter Luinder Avila and the cavalcade of journeymen and injured players in Omaha. Decision: Add Arronde to the 40 man roster.

Carson Roccaforte OF L/L 5’11”/195 age 24

The Louisiana Lafayette alum has posted an impressive 2026 campaign at Northwest Arkansas.  He maintains a solid slash line of .242/.335/.471 but a gaudy SO% 35.2.  Roccaforte is currently playing CF and could be considered a bench bat and defensive replacement. I really debated on this one a lot. No one wants to lose their #16 prospect when the cupboards are bare but I believe his high SO% will keep him from being drafted.  That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t deserve a promotion to Omaha once the trade deadline dust settles. This is easily the biggest risk the Royals take.  Decision: Do not add Roccaforte to the 40 man roster.

High A

Jordan Woods LHP 6’3”/183 age 22

Woods is an intriguing prospect.  The Oakville Ontario native struck out 54 batters in 35 innings at Columbia and earned himself a promotion to Quad Cities.  He has had a more pedestrian 12 strike outs in 14 innings pitched for the River Bandits.  We will want to keep an eye on how he adjusts to high A in the second half of 2026.  A strong finish could put Woods on bullpen watch for needy teams. Decision: Do not add to the 40 man roster.

The Royals are a year away from their first Brian Bridges draft needing Rule 5 protection.  I believe fall 2027 will provide many interesting decisions for the Kansas City Royals.  Until those draft choices mature and advance the upper minor league rosters are full of journeymen and retreads.  The Royals continue to sign players to eat innings and just get through the season.  Unless some of the aforementioned players really start to shine after the All Star break, or a trade is made adding players to the organization, I don’t see any other glaring, have to add to the 40 man roster players. There are two players I could see getting an opportunity if the trade deadline clears some space at the MLB level.  Adding Arronde to give him a shot in the bullpen and Squires to see if his power translates to the MLB.  2026 is a lost season, let’s see if we can glean useful pieces for the future in the second half.