Wednesday was the deadline to add select non-roster players to the 40-man roster, thus protecting them from the Rule 5 draft in December. Here’s a breakdown of the news.
Players added to the 40-man roster
- LHB Ben Bowden
- RHP Ashton Goudeau
- RHP Antonio Santos
- IF Tyler Nevin
Bowden and Nevin are the least surprising of these. Bowden was dominant when he was in Double-A before getting exposure at Triple-A, so he was already viewed as a bullpen piece for 2020. Nevin had a rough year in Double-A, but his potential is way too high to expose to the Rule 5 draft.
Goudeau and Santos were maybes. They both pitched well in this year’s Arizona Fall League. Goudeau didn’t allow a run in 13 innings of work. Santos struck out about 11 batters per nine innings and posted a 2.77 ERA, also in 13 innings pitched. It wouldn’t have been too surprising to leave them unprotected, but that they’ve been added isn’t a big surprise either.
Players unprotected, unlikely to be taken
- RHP Mike Nikorak
- OF Daniel Montano
- IF Vince Fernandez
Montano and Fernandez are too far away. Montano played 2019 in Asheville, and he didn’t even play that well. He has a lot of potential, but it’s doubtful there’s a major league team that could afford to keep him on a major league roster for all of 2020 (which is required if drafted in the Rule 5 draft, or else the player would need to be returned to the team he was drafted from). Fernandez had an okay season in High A Lancaster, while also serving a suspension.
And Nikorak...well Nikorak walked 20 batters in 13 innings pitched in Asheville in 2019. No team is selecting him.
Players not added, might be taken
- RHP Reid Humphreys
- RHP Robert Tyler
- 1B Roberto Ramos
- IF/OF Brian Mundell
Humphreys and Tyler are both relief pitchers who have seen time in High A, and in Humphreys’s case a few innings in Double-A. Relievers like them could be hidden on a bad team. I can see either getting selected.
It’s much more likely that Ramos or Mundell (or both) get selected. Both of them had great seasons in Triple-A in 2019. Even with the juiced ball caveat, they aren’t guys who look like they need any more minor league seasoning. It’s not just bad teams that could take and hide them, but even competitive teams who have an open roster spot and want to audition a bench bat that might. I’d bet that at least one of them gets taken in the Rule 5 draft.
With the four additions, the Rockies 40-man roster is full. So if there are any free agent signings or trades for major leaguers, someone will have to be removed.