Pittsburgh put six players eligible for the Rule 5 Draft on their 40-man roster, including outfielder/first baseman Esmerlyn Valdez, infielder Jack Brannigan, right-handed pitchers in Brandon Bidois, Wilber Dotel and Antwone Kelly, plus left-handed pitcher Tyler Samaniego.

The league's deadline to protect players from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft was Nov. 18. Here are the four players the team chose to protect.

Alongside their roster decisions, the White Sox also shared that Ellard has retired. Drafted in the eighth round in 2021, the southpaw’s 2025 season was derailed by injuries: a right hamstring strain in April, followed by a left lat strain in May that ultimately placed him on the 60-day IL.

The deadline for adding players to 40-man rosters is here. Teams have until 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, which will take place Dec. 10 at the Winter Meetings in Orlando,

Hours before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline to add prospects to the 40-man roster as protection from next month’s Rule 5 Draft, the Red Sox swung a trade and cut two players.

MLB teams have until the late afternoon to make decisions that could change their trajectory entirely. The qualifying offer and Rule 5 Draft roster deadlines loom large.

Many deadlines come with the offseason in baseball, and one nearing is regarding the Rule 5 Draft. This draft concerns players in an organization's farm system