With a whopping 45 players eligible for this year’s Rule 5 draft, the Red Sox had some difficult decisions to make ahead of Tuesday’s deadline to add to the 40-man roster as a means of protection.

Only two prospects ended up making the cut before the 6 p.m. ET cutoff: right-hander Hunter Dobbins and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia. The Red Sox will need to make additional roster moves in order to clear two spots for them.

Dobbins is coming off a strong ‘24 season in which he posted a 3.08 ERA over 25 starts (125 ⅔ innings) between Double-A and Triple-A. He boasts a five-pitch mix, including a modified splitter known as a ‘splinker,’ and his velocity is up to 98 mph.

Ahead of the 2021 draft, Dobbins was viewed as a first- or second-round pick before the 2021 draft, but due to his Tommy John surgery earlier that year, which cost him his final season at Texas Tech, he was still on the board when the Red Sox were on the board in the eighth round. They took him with the 226th pick in the draft.

Garcia began the year in Low-A Salem but earned two promotions over the course of the season to finish in Double-A. Over 107 games, the hard-hitting outfielder slashed .286/.356/.536 over 107 games. He stole 17 bases, collected 118 hits, scored 78 runs, 66 RBI, and led all Red Sox minor leaguers with 23 home runs. He walked at a 7-percent clip, and struck out 22-percent of the time.

Dobbins, who won the organization’s minor league Starting Pitcher of the Year, is currently ranked No. 21 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Red Sox prospects. He’s expected to reach the majors next season. Garcia is up at No. 12, with a 2026 ETA.

The Red Sox left several intriguing players unprotected, including Michael Fullmer, the former Detroit Tigers reliever who won 2016 American League Rookie of the Year. Boston signed him to a two-year minor league deal during spring training last year as he recovered from his second Tommy John surgery the previous October.

Three of Boston’s top 30 prospects will be on the board as well: outfielder Allan Castro (No. 19), right-hander Yordanny Monegro (No. 25), and corner infielder Blaze Jordan (No. 26).

Players signed before age 19 are Rule 5 eligible within five seasons; those signed at 19 or older are eligible within four. Draft selections are optional, but come with big strings attached: the team must pay their pick’s former club $100K, and keep him on their 26-man roster for the duration of the following season (with the exception of injured list stints). A Rule 5 player can only be removed from the active roster via outright waivers. If he clears waivers, he must be offered back to his original club for $50K before he can be outrighted to the minor leagues.

Teams may also trade Rule 5 selections, but the same rules apply. The Red Sox found great success in this route last year when they immediately moved to acquire right-hander Justin Slaten after the New York Mets took him from the Texas Rangers in last year’s draft.

The Rule 5 Draft is scheduled for Dec. 11, during the MLB Winter Meetings.

You can find every Red Sox offseason update on the Boston Herald’s 2024-25 live tracker!