And while that makes dozens of Minor Leaguers eligible each winter in the Rule 5 Draft, only a few actually get snatched away. That's because a team that choses a player is only guaranteed to retain that player if he remains on the selecting club's 40-man roster for a full season.
The Cardinals have several current vacancies on their roster to make additions, though they won't fill them all. That would restrict their ability to make other additions this winter.