\n\tThe Kansas City Royals are tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the worst record in baseball at 38-59.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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?\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n\tAccording to the MLB.com<\/a> 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.\n<\/p>\n \n\tNot 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.\n<\/p>\n \n\tClubs 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.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe 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.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThere 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.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe position players break down as follows: four shortstops, three outfielders, two catchers, one first baseman, one second baseman, and one third baseman.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe 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.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe 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.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe average age of players selected is 24. Let\u2019s look at the Royals organization and see who might be protected.\n<\/p>\n \n\tBosacker is the only AAA player that is first time eligible for the Rule 5 draft.\u00a0 As a comparison, the #1 ranked farm system by MLB.com<\/a> to start 2026 is the Milwaukee Brewers.\u00a0 They have six first time eligible Rule 5 draftees – two high school 2022 draftees and four 2023 college draft picks in AAA Nashville.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 I digress.\n<\/p>\n \n\tBosacker started the season with Northwest Arkansas and earned a promotion to Omaha on June 12th.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Bosacker is walking at a nearly 1\/1 ratio.\u00a0 He has 24 walks against 31 strikeouts.\u00a0 With a below average fastball sitting at 92mph, Bosacker will need to rely on his best pitch, a slider that rates tjStuff+ at 105.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n\ttjStuff+\n<\/p>\n\n\tAAA
\n<\/h2>\n\n\tEthan Bosacker RHP 6\u20192\u201d\/210 age 25
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