Thursday is a big day for MLB and those who just absolutely love its arcane, confusing roster rules. Typically, today would be the final day of the Winter Meetings. That isn’t the case in 2020 because the Winter Meetings didn’t really take place due to COVID, but the hallmark of that final day remains. That would be the Rule 5 Draft, which takes place at noon ET today and is one of the weirdest quirks of the MLB calendar.
For those who are unaware, in this draft any minor-league players who have been in professional baseball for a certain amount of time — four seasons for those who signed at age 19 or older, five seasons for those who signed at age 18 or younger — and not on a 40-man roster are eligible.