Mets Set to Protect Seven Prospects Before Rule 5
The New York Mets must add seven ranked prospects to the 40-man roster by Tuesday to avoid losing them in the Rule 5 Draft.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Baseball
The New York Mets face a Tuesday, 6 p.m. ET deadline to protect seven ranked prospects by placing them on the 40-man roster. Players left unprotected can be selected by other clubs in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday, Dec. 9, in San Diego.
Why it matters
Eligible players not added to a 40-man roster become available to any other team, so the Mets' decisions determine which prospects remain in the organization. MLB Pipeline expects eight Top 100 prospects, including Jefferson Rojas, to receive roster spots this year.
Rule 5 selections in the major league phase cost the selecting club $100,000, while returning an unkept player costs $50,000. Jefferson Rojas is the Mets' top-ranked prospect and No. 68 in baseball.
The players
Jefferson Rojas
Rojas is the New York Mets' No. 1 prospect and ranked No. 68 among all players in baseball.
MLB Pipeline
MLB Pipeline is Major League Baseball's official prospect-ranking and news platform, which projects that eight Top 100 prospects will receive roster spots.
The details
The seven ranked Mets prospects include Jacob Reimer (No. 6), Jack Wenninger (No. 8), Ryan Clifford (No. 14), Gary Gill Hill (No. 16), Chris Suero (No. 17) and Jose Chirinos (No. 26) alongside Rojas. Players who first signed at age 18 or younger must be protected within five seasons, while those who signed at 19 or older must be protected within four seasons.
Timeline
Tuesday, 6 p.m. ET: Deadline to place Mets prospects on the 40-man roster.
Wednesday, Dec. 9: Rule 5 Draft held in San Diego.
Roadmap
The Rule 5 Draft's protection deadlines force teams each offseason to balance developing young talent against roster space for established major leaguers. The Mets' decisions this year follow that annual cycle of protecting prospects before they become exposed to other clubs.
Any prospect not added to the 40-man roster by Tuesday becomes eligible for selection, which can change depth charts for other clubs. Fantasy managers tracking Mets prospects should note which names are protected before the draft.
The takeaway
Roster protection decisions made this week will determine which Mets prospects stay in the organization, and the draft outcome will show which players other teams value most.
What happens next
The Mets must submit their 40-man roster protections by Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET, and the Rule 5 Draft takes place Wednesday, Dec. 9, in San Diego.
Further reading
For more on the team's roster moves, see the latest Baseball coverage from New York City.
