Fresh off of a tough 2017 NL Wildcard loss, the Rockies front office had some decisions to make. Just as every club had to do, the Rockies needed to decide who to protect in their minor league system from the upcoming Rule 5 draft.
That year’s list of eligible players to be snagged included LHP Sam Howard, 21-year-old catcher Dom Nuñez, RHP Jesus Tinoco and LHP Harrison Musgrave, among others. Ultimately, the Rockies decided to protect four players: top eligible prospect Sam Howard along with three relatively fringe prospects — Tinoco, catcher Chris Rabago, and 23-year-old outfielder Yonathan Daza who was coming off of hitting .