The Braves added four players to their 40-man roster Tuesday to protect them from the Rule 5 draft, which is scheduled for next month at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas.
The four prospects are catcher Alex Jackson and right-handed pitchers Jacob Webb, Patrick Weigel and Huascar Ynoa.
Major league teams have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to add Rule 5-eligible players to their 40-man rosters Any eligible player not on a 40-man by that time is exposed to the draft, scheduled for Dec. 13, which is the last day of the Winter Meetings.
The Braves' moves filled their 40-man roster as the team enters what could be a busy offseason.
Look for subsequent moves to come as the Braves make room for free agents, trade acquisitions and, possibly, players they select in the Rule 5 draft.
According to MLB, “players who signed with their current club at age 18 or younger and have played professionally for at least five years are eligible to be selected, as are those who signed at 19 or older and have at least four years of professional experience” are eligible for the Rule 5 draft.
Jackson, 22, played last season at Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett. Overall, he hit .201 with eight home runs and a .647 OPS in 99 games.
Webb, 25, also spent last season at Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett. His combined record was 3-4 with a 3.15 ERA 18 saves in 51 relief appearances (54-1/3 innings). He struck out 69 and walked 23, and opponents hit .184 against him. Webb was an 18th-round draft choice by the Braves in 2014.
Weigel, 24, underwent Tommy John surgery June 27, 2017, and he appeared in four games last season for the Braves’ Gulf Coast League rookie-ball team. Overall, Weigel is 17-11 with a 3.27 ERA in 58 minor-league games, 56 of them starts. In 283-2/3 innings, Weigel has struck out 275 batters and walked 109.
Ynoa, 20, played for the Braves’ single-A affiliates in Rome and Florida last season, and overall, he was 8-12 with a 4.56 ERA in 116-1/3 innings.
