Wednesday marked the deadline for Padres GM AJ Preller to move players to his 40-man roster as a means of protection from next month’s Rule 5 draft.
Although he DFAd outfielder Nick Martini in order to make space for promising young slugger Jorge Ona, the deadline ultimately passed with fewer moves than some expected.
Notably, Preller elected to leave two Rule 5-eligible, top-30 prospects off of the 40-man.
Infielder Esteury Ruiz (18th) and outfielder Buddy Reed (25th) are both considered to be among the club’s top 30 farmhands by MLB Pipeline, but Preller apparently feels that they may not be ready for major league primetime.