Orioles Wait To See If They Lose Prospect In Rule 5 Draft

In less than a week, the Baltimore Orioles will find out if they will lose one of their Top 30 prospects.

The Rule 5 Draft is set for Wednesday in Nashville. This the day where players that haven’t made it to the Majors yet — but have been in the minors for a while — are up for selection by the rest of the league.

It’s a way of making sure that teams don’t hoard prospects.

It’s also a day that will make the Orioles sweat over outfielder Hudson Haskin.

Haskin qualifies for the Rule 5 Draft because he was drafted out of Tulane in 2020. He started his career after age 19, which means he must be on the Orioles’ 40-man roster after four seasons or he’s up for the Rule 5 Draft. The Orioles did not put Haskin on their 40-man roster at the tender deadline.

Being up for the draft doesn’t mean he’ll be selected. He’s also not the only Orioles prospect unprotected. But, according to MLB.com, he’s the one most likely to be selected:

Haskin has shown glimpses of his power-speed combination since the Orioles took him in the second round of the 2020 Draft out of Tulane, but he's had trouble staying healthy. He managed to play only 33 games in 2023 because of a hamstring injury and then a hip impingement that required surgery. His plus speed and ability to play all three outfield spots could have value to other teams.

Haskin is the Orioles’ No. 17 prospect per MLB.com. He’s also caught in a numbers game in Baltimore. The O’s have three starting outfielders under contract — Anthony Santander, Austin Hays and Cedric Mullins. They also have two top outfield prospects in Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser.

In spite of the injury, he’s shown what he can do with his bat. In 2022 at Double-A he slashed .264/.367/.455/.822 with 15 home runs and 56 RBI.

What might keep a team from drafting him is not the price tag — that team is only required to pay the Orioles $100,000. But, that team must also put him on their 26-man roster immediately. If Haskin is drafted, it means that teams believes the former Green Wave star can help them in 2024.

If that team releases him the following season, he must be outrighted and offered back to the Orioles for $50,000.