The deadline for adding players to 40-man rosters has passed. Teams had 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,

The Kansas City Royals protected two top-30 prospects from the Rule 5 Draft on Tuesday. MLB.com’s Anne rogers highlights some other Top-30 prospects that are now available for other teams in this winter’s draft.

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.

Right-hander Blake Burkhalter, right-hander Ian Mejia, right-hander Elison Joseph and third baseman David McCabe are all eligible.

Painter is the team's No. 1 prospect and posted a 5.26 ERA in 118 innings between single-A Clearwater and triple-A Lehigh Valley. The Phillies’ 40-man roster currently stands at 33 players.

He would have been one of the first picks in the Rule 5 draft had the Sox not protected him. Shane Drohan has already been picked in the Rule 5 draft. He was swiped by the White Sox after the Sox left him unprotected following the 2023 season.

Tuesday was an important day for roster moves around Major League Baseball, and the moves the Kansas City Royals didn't make said at least as much as those they

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.