The Orioles selected the contracts of five of their prospects ahead of Tuesday’s deadline to protect players from this year’s Rule 5 draft, adding them to the 40-man roster and keeping them safe from being picked away. The group of four pitchers and one position player is headlined by top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez, and also includes pitchers Noah Denoyer, Seth Johnson, and Drew Rom, as well as infield prospect Joey Ortiz.
The players who will become Rule 5 draft-eligible this year are those who signed at 18 or younger for 2018, or those who signed at 19 or older for 2019.