Royals Rule 5 draft open thread

The Rule 5 draft concludes the Winter Meetings in San Diego and will be held at 11 a.m. Central time. The Rule 5 draft allows teams to select players who have stalled out in other organizations, with the stipulation they must be carried on the MLB roster all season, they cannot be sent to the minor leagues. Who is eligible?

Players who were signed when they were 19 or older and have played in professional baseball for four years are eligible, as are players who were signed at 18 and have played for five years.

All players on a Major League Baseball team's 40-man roster, regardless of other eligibility factors, are "protected" and ineligible for the Rule 5 Draft.

Past Royals selected in the Rule 5 draft include pitcher Nate Adcock, outfielder Rich Thompson, outfielder Jon Nunnally, pitcher Miguel Ascencio, and perhaps the best known selection, reliever Joakim Soria.

J.J. Cooper of Baseball America has a pretty comprehensive look at the top names available here. Utility player Whit Merrifield and slugger Matt Fields are the only players in the Royals organization mentioned as possible selections. As I outlined earlier, lefty reliever Buddy Baumann, starting pitcher Chris Dwyer, infielder Ramon Torres, outfielder Brett Eibner are longer shots. Tyler Drenon looked at some potential Rule 5 selections for the Royals here. The Royals currently one spot open on their 40-man roster. Teams will select in reverse order of last year's standings, so the Royals will select 24th. There is also a "minor league" portion of the Rule 5 draft, but no significant players are ever involved in that.

Hearing strong buzz that Rays C Oscar Hernandez will go first in tomorrow's Rule 5 draft to the Diamondbacks. Can't fully confirm yet.

— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) December 11, 2014

As wrote yest, outside execs think #Mets will lose at least RHP Logan Verrett today in Rule 5 draft

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 11, 2014

Guys who will probably get picked in Rule 5 include Cody Martin, DeShields, Gilmartin, Jared Mitchell, Oscar Hernandez, Canha, Montgomery

— Michael Mayer (@themainemets) December 11, 2014

Jeff Luhnow on whether he’s worried Pena will be taken in Rule 5 draft: "No." Exact answer he gave on DeShields, as it were.

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) December 11, 2014

Heard Blue Jays are going to raid the Mets during the minor-league phase of Rule 5 draft.

— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) December 11, 2014