The Astros took a gamble by not placing minor league reliever Riley Ferrell on the 40-man roster last offseason, thus exposing him to the Rule 5 Draft. Sure enough, he was selected by the Marlins. However, the Marlins have now placed him on waivers, meaning if he’s not claimed by another team, he gets offered back to the Astros for half the price the Marlins paid to get him.
The Rule 5 Draft is essentially a way to prevent teams from stockpiling major league-ready talent in the minors. If an eligible player is not on his team’s 40-man roster, other teams could “draft” the player for $100,000.