Rangers Will Carry Rule 5 Pick Carter Baumler On Roster
The Rangers will break camp with Rule 5 right-hander Carter Baumler on the roster. In a unique moment that all fans will want to check out (video link), manager Skip Schumaker made a mound visit last night to inform Baumler he’d made the club mid-game. The entire Rangers infield converged to join in for the delivery and congratulate the 24-year-old on his first call to the big leagues. After his outing, an emotional Baumler told Laura Stickells of the Rangers Sports Network that he was blindsided by the news (video link). Naturally, when Baumler saw Schumaker heading to the mound, he assumed he was being taken out of the game earlier than expected.
“What a special way [to tell me],” Baumler said. “It caught me totally off guard. It was pretty cool. … A few years ago, I never would’ve expected this. Looking back, I’m glad I kept my head down, kept hammering away.”
A fifth-round pick by the Orioles back in the shortened 2020 draft, Baumler signed for an over-slot $1.5MM but has never been touted as a top-tier prospect. That’s in part due to persistent health troubles. He’s already undergone both Tommy John surgery and shoulder surgery in his young career. Between those injuries and the lack of a minor league season in 2020, Baumler pitched only 49 total innings in his first five seasons of pro ball.
In 2025, Baumler tossed 39 2/3 frames between High-A and Double-A. That’s still the highest single-season workload of his career, so the Rangers will be at least somewhat judicious with his usage — even in a bullpen role. Baumler worked to a sparkling 2.o4 ERA with a 29.1% strikeout rate but an 11.4% walk rate last year. He’s been outstanding with Texas this spring, tossing 9 1/3 shutout innings with a 28.6% strikeout rate, a 5.7% walk rate and a 54.5% ground-ball rate.
In order to shed his Rule 5 designation — which prevents him from being optioned to the minors at any point — Baumler will need to stick on the major league roster or injured list all season (including 90 days on the active roster). If he manages to do so, the Rangers will secure full control over the right-hander moving forward. He’d be controllable for five years and have a full slate of three minor league option years thereafter.
If at any point Texas feels the need to go in a different direction, Baumler would need to pass through waivers unclaimed and subsequently be offered back to the Orioles for a nominal sum of $50K. Given the excellent spring results and the fact that the Rangers actually sent a prospect to the Pirates in order to select Baumler for them in the draft, he should have a real chance to stick on the roster.
Baumler will join a revamped Texas bullpen that includes lefties Robert Garcia, Tyler Alexander, Jalen Beeks and Jacob Latz as well as right-handers Chris Martin, Cole Winn and Jakob Junis.
Narrowing Down The Closer Options In Texas
The Rangers and White Sox were the only teams in the league last season that failed to have a reliever record double-digit saves. Jhoan Duran and David Bednar each did it with two different teams. The 43-win Rockies had multiple pitchers lock down 10+ games.
Texas finished the year tied for 22nd in saves with the Nationals, who also had two relievers reach the double-digit threshold. Luke Jackson, Shawn Armstrong, and Robert Garcia had a three-way tie for the Rangers team lead at nine saves. Phil Maton chipped in three, while Chris Martin had two.
Jackson, Armstrong, and Maton have moved on to other organizations. Martin is back with the club, embarking on his age-40 season. Garcia remains a key piece of the late-inning equation, though the club is sorely lacking in high-leverage lefties. Here’s a quick look at how the closer role could shake out in Texas…
Robert Garcia
The case against Garcia has nothing to do with his skills. He posted a sub-3.00 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning in his first year with the club. Garcia notched 15 holds in addition to his nine saves. The Rangers’ acquisition of Garcia from the Nationals for Nathaniel Lowe, who landed in Cincinnati on a minor league deal this offseason, seems like a clear win.
The problem for Garcia is the lack of other lefties in the ‘pen. Tyler Alexander is the only healthy left-hander on the 40-man roster who will definitely be filling a relief role. He comes to Texas after four straight seasons with a 4.50 ERA or worse. Jacob Latz is a candidate for the rotation. If he comes up short for the No. 5 spot, he’ll likely be in a flexible multi-inning role.
Garcia is the lone holdover from the 2025 closer trio, but he had that role under former manager Bruce Bochy. Skip Schumaker is at the helm now. The new skipper had a lefty closer in Tanner Scott during his two seasons with the Marlins, but those teams also had A.J. Puk, Andrew Nardi, and Steven Okert as left-handed options.
Chris Martin
The veteran right-hander’s career has seemed over multiple times recently. He said at the close of the 2024 campaign that he was 95% sure that 2025 would be it for him. Then this past season included three different injuries, punctuated by a chilling diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome. And yet, Martin is back with the Rangers on a one-year deal.
The soon-to-be 40-year-old has been a solid reliever for much of his career, but it’s hard to know how many innings he can handle at this point. It’s also difficult to gauge how the Rangers will treat him. It was pedal to the metal to begin 2025, as Martin pitched in all three games of the first series against Boston. It’d be surprising to see him used anywhere near that frequently this year.
This is by far the most intriguing name on the list, given his past run as a solid closer and his more recent history as a struggling minor-league reliever. Diaz dominated in his 2022 debut with the Reds, firing 63 2/3 innings of a 1.84 ERA and a 32.5% strikeout rate. He picked up 10 saves as a rookie. He would go on to rack up 65 saves over the next two seasons.
Diaz missed the start of last season with a hamstring strain. He was crushed for eight earned runs over six innings once he returned, and found himself back in Triple-A. Cincinnati would deal him to the Dodgers at the end of May. Diaz continued to scuffle in L.A. and was even worse after latching on with the Braves to close the year. If he can find a way to regain a couple of ticks on his fastball, Diaz could push for high-leverage opportunities.
It’s been a long journey to the big leagues for the 2018 first-round pick, but the converted starter was a significant contributor in the bullpen last season. The majority of Winn’s work came in the middle innings, but he did pick up four holds. The right-hander posted a pristine 1.51 ERA. He deserves some credit for that mark, though the underlying numbers point to regression. Winn had a .194 BABIP and a 90.5% LOB%. His xERA and xFIP were both over 4.00.
While he probably won’t put up a sub-2.00 ERA again, Winn does have the stuff of a high-leverage arm. He sits above 96 mph with the four-seamer, while boasting a pair of strong swing-and-miss pitches. Winn’s slider had a 34% whiff rate, and his splitter had a hefty 43.3% mark. It’s odd to see a short reliever throw five different pitches at least 12% of the time, but the arsenal is viable.
Carter Baumler (honorable mention)
The Rule 5 pick has been turning heads in camp. Baumler has an upper-90s heater with a hard slider and a big curveball. Schumaker described the arsenal as “stuff that we don’t really have in the mix of the potential bullpen construction,” relayed by Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. Baumler has never made it above Double-A, so it’s hard to imagine him stepping into a late-inning role. His first goal will be just making the team. Baumler is well on his way to earning a roster spot with three strikeouts across two scoreless innings in Spring Training.
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Imagn Images
2025 Rule 5 Draft Results
The 2025 Rule 5 draft is taking place this afternoon at the Winter Meetings in Orlando. This post will be updated with the results as they come in.
As a refresher, the Rule 5 draft is a way for players potentially talented enough for the big leagues but blocked by their current clubs to find opportunities elsewhere. Any players that were 18 and under at the time of their original signing and went professional in 2021, and any players who turned pro at 19 years of age or older in 2022, are eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft if they are not on a 40-man roster.
Though the amateur (Rule 4) draft now has a lottery to determine the selection order, the Rule 5 draft still goes the old-fashioned way of reverse order of standings from the season that just ended. Clubs need to have an open 40-man roster spot in order to make a pick but aren’t obligated to make a selection on their turn. If they do make a pick, they will have to pay $100K to the team they select from. The selected players must stay on the active roster (or injured list) for the entire 2026 season or else be placed on waivers. If they clear waivers, they must be offered back to their original team. They cannot be optioned to the minors.
Players like Anthony Santander and Ryan Pressly have been notable picks in other recent years while guys like George Bell and Roberto Clemente are found deeper in the history books. Last year, 15 players were selected. Only four of those remain with the club who selected them and only three of those have had their rights fully transferred to their new club. The White Sox took Shane Smith from the Brewers. The Marlins took Liam Hicks from the Tigers. Mike Vasil was taken by the Phillies from the Mets but was later traded to the Rays and then went to the White Sox via waivers.
The one other pick from last year’s draft which is still live is Angel Bastardo, who the Blue Jays took from the Red Sox. He was recovering from Tommy John surgery and spent the entire 2025 season on the injured list. He is still on Toronto’s 40-man but they don’t yet have his full rights, as a player needs at least 90 active days to remove the Rule 5 restrictions. If the Jays are willing to roster him for about three months during the 2026 season, they could then gain his full rights and option him to the minors. All other picks were eventually returned to their original organization and/or became free agents.
This year’s picks will be featured below as they come in…
- Rockies: RHP RJ Petit (from the Tigers) (Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs was on this before the official announcement)
- White Sox: RHP Jedixson Paez (Red Sox)
- Nationals: RHP Griff McGarry (Phillies)
- Twins: C Daniel Susac (Athletics) (Susac was then traded to the Giants, per Longenhagen. The Twins will get minor league catcher Miguel Caraballo in return, per Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune)
- Pirates: RHP Carter Baumler (Orioles) (The Pirates then traded Baumler to the Rangers for RHP Jaiker Garcia. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News previously suggested Texas would likely get Baumler)
- Angels: pass
- Orioles: pass
- Athletics: RHP Ryan Watson (Giants) (Will be traded to Red Sox, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The A’s will get Justin Riemer in return, per Cotillo.)
- Braves: pass
- Rays: pass
- Cardinals: RHP Matt Pushard (Marlins)
- Marlins: pass
- Diamondbacks: pass
- Rangers: pass
- Giants: pass
- Royals: pass
- Reds: pass
- Mets: pass
- Tigers: pass
- Astros: RHP Roddery Muñoz (Reds)
- Guardians: RHP Peyton Pallette (White Sox)
- Red Sox: pass
- Mariners: pass
- Padres: pass
- Cubs: pass
- Dodgers: pass
- Blue Jays: RHP Spencer Miles (Giants)
- Yankees: RHP Cade Winquest (Cardinals)
- Phillies: RHP Zach McCambley (Marlins)
- Brewers: pass
Second round (all others passed)
- White Sox: RHP Alexander Alberto (Rays)
Photo courtesy of Mike Watters, Imagn Images
Big Hype Prospects: AFL Sleepers Edition
With the postseason looming, our prospect attention shifts out west where the Arizona Fall League is set to begin this evening. The rosters include several notable prospects. They’re joined by the usual smattering untouted, statistically effective players. Today, let’s skip the big names and focus on the guys fighting for recognition. Those with long memories will recall Edouard Julien’s emphatic AFL performance. “Big Hype” can be built in Arizona.
First, let’s back up and think about Julien’s platform last season. He played well at Double-A as a 23-year-old. In the past, that was on the old side of age-appropriate. Now, it’s just flat-out old for the level. A 23-year-old either dominates Double-A or isn’t considered a prospect (there are exceptions). He was arguably the top player in the AFL last season (Heston Kjerstad won the MVP). Julien went on to post a 2.8 WAR debut in the Majors over 408 plate appearances. High BABIPs are a key component of his success.
Notably, defense was and remains a concern with Julien. There are always a few players who slide under the radar because they have a good-not-great bat married to defensive concerns.
Five Big Hype Prospects
Damiano Palmegiani, 23, 3B, TOR (AAA)
(AA/AAA) 557 PA, 23 HR, 7 SB, .255/.364/.478
There’s some surface commonality between Palmegiani and Julien. They’re both disciplined hitters who produced big league-caliber exit velocities. Scouting reports go out of their way to question the defensive aspects of Palmegiani’s game. He mostly played first base at Triple-A after spending most of the season as the starting Double-A third baseman. Palmegiani also has a shaky hit tool. When he connects, it tends to be well-struck. However, between the discipline and a moderate swinging strike rate, there’s a chance nearly half his plate appearances will end without a batted ball. Barring a profile change, he’ll need high BABIPs just like Julien. Palmegiani is not Rule 5 eligible this winter.
Carter Baumler, 21, P, BAL (A)
(CPX/A) 17 IP, 11.12 K/9, 4.76 BB/9, 3.18 ERA
While we don’t usually watch the AFL for pitchers, Baumler is an exception. A fifth-round pick in the abbreviated 2020 draft, Baumler’s career has been waylaid by injuries, mostly to his shoulder. He managed to return to the mound in late July and even faced 16 batters in his final regular season outing on September 7. He was once viewed as a future Top 100 prospect candidate. With health, he’s young enough to get back on track. He features a well-designed fastball-curve combo. He also shows a slider and changeup, both of which are in want of further development. Baumler is not Rule 5 eligible this winter.
Brainer Bonaci, 20, 2B/SS, BOS (AA)
(A+/AA) 350 PA, 11 HR, 7 SB, .297/.354/.464
Bonaci is on the Ramon Urias utility track. He’s Rule 5 eligible this winter. I figure there aren’t many scenarios in which he’s left off the Red Sox roster. Bonaci is a well-regarded fielder, but he’s slow-footed. He’s likely limited to second and third base down the line. His bat is trending in a league-average direction. Given he’s a switch-hitter, the total sum is a useful player who fits well on any roster.
Zach Dezenzo, 23, 3B, HOU (AA)
(A+/AA) 410 PA, 18 HR, 22 SB, .304/.383/.531
Early in the season, Dezenzo was among the top minor league performers by wRC+. After beating up on High-A pitchers, he performed merely decently against Double-A arms. Even so, at least one source of mine believes Dezenzo is Top 100 prospect material. Another source says he has a hole in his swing. While there’s no question about the quality of his contact, the frequency of his contact could leave him in the Quad-A bubble. He’s likely in the AFL to work on defense. He is not Rule 5 eligible.
Jakob Marsee, 22, OF, SD (AA)
(A+/AA) 568 PA, 16 HR, 46 SB, .274/.413/.428
Marsee reminds me of a lower-impact version of Julien, one whose future big league role will depend upon making good on the few opportunities he’s given. That he’ll receive such opportunities is of little doubt. He’s a disciplined hitter with a high rate of contact. As a lefty, he’s also on the strong side of any platoon considerations. Defensively, he’s considered fringy as a center fielder. He doesn’t have quite enough pop to excite evaluators about a corner outfield role. Still, he profiles as somebody who could post offensive numbers not unlike Julien’s debut. That’s a Major Leaguer, even if we’re only talking about a platoon bat on the Athletics. He’s likely in the AFL to generate trade interest. He is not Rule 5 eligible.
Three More
Hao-Yu Lee, DET (20): You might recognize Lee from this past trade deadline when he was dealt from Philly to Detroit for Michael Lorenzen. A quad strain limited him to 32 post-trade plate appearances. Lee will be looking to make a strong impression on his new employers. He is not Rule 5 eligible.
Kala’i Rosario, MIN (21): Rosario is one of the most accomplished power hitters in the AFL this season. He’s coming off a 21-homer campaign in High-A built around hard contact and plenty of pulled fly balls. He cut down on his swing-and-miss this year by being more patient. He is not Rule 5 eligible.
Abimelec Ortiz, TEX (21): Ortiz should be the odds-on favorite to lead the AFL in homers. He delivered 33 dingers this season split between Low- and High-A. With a strong AFL, he’s a fringe Top 100 prospect candidate. He’s also not Rule 5 eligible.
Did I miss a detail or nuance? DM me on Twitter @BaseballATeam to suggest corrections.