Should Minnesota Twins Protect Right-Handed Pitching Prospect John Klein From Rule 5 Draft?

[Cody Schoenmann]

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge

As the Nov. 19 deadline for MLB teams to finalize their 40-man rosters nears, the Minnesota Twins are expected to add an unusually high number of prospects to their 40-man roster, protecting them from Rule 5 Draft eligibility. Most Twins pundits agree the following five prospects will be rewarded for their development with places on the reserve list:

• Andrew Morris, RHP
• Connor Prielipp, LHP
• Kendry Rojas, LHP
• Gabriel Gonzalez, OF
• Hendry Mendez, OF

Right-handed starting pitching prospect C.J. Culpepper is also a near-lock to be added. However, there is some chance that Twins decision-makers will risk losing the 23-year-old starting pitching prospect, given that he hasn't pitched above Double A and battled through arm injuries over the last two seasons. Regardless, Minnesota is almost guaranteed to protect the six aforementioned players come mid-November.  

Right now, the Twins' 40-man roster is full, but the organization will soon have one open spot when veteran catcher Christian Vázquez enters free agency upon the World Series' conclusion. They'll also likely non-tender Génesis Cabrera, Anthony Misiewicz, and Thomas Hatch, creating four of the six spots necessary to add Morris, Prielipp, Rojas, Gonzalez, Mendez, and Culpepper. Clearing the final two spots won't be complicated, as Minnesota's front office could justifiably part ways (through non-tendering or designating for assignment) with Ryan Kreidler, Carson McCusker, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., Edouard Julien, Jose Miranda, Ryan Fitzgerald, Mickey Gasper, Jhonny Pereda, Michael Tonkin, Justin Topa, and/or Trevor Larnach to create further 40-man roster room.

In fact, given how Minnesota's 40-man roster transformed after the organization elected to purge its 26-man roster at this summer's trade deadline, a few previously unexpected minor leaguers could be awarded 40-man roster spots. Given their strong 2025 performances, right-handed hitting corner outfielders Kala'i Rosario and Kyler Fedko are the players most likely to join Morris, Prielipp, Rojas, Gonzalez, Mendez, and Culpepper. Another improbable addition could be right-handed starting pitching prospect John Klein.

Signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa Central Community College following the 2022 MLB Draft, Klein progressed from beginning the 2023 season in the Florida Complex League to finishing his 2025 campaign at Triple-A St. Paul. Despite posting a Halloween-appropriate 6.66 ERA over 25 2/3 innings pitched for the Saints, the 23-year-old's underlying metrics tell a much more encouraging story: he had a 3.30 FIP and 28.2% strikeout rate over the same stretch.

The driving factor behind his surface-level Triple-A struggles was his inability to suppress baserunners. He ran an untenable 11.1% walk rate. The native Minnesotan has posted alarmingly high walk rates throughout his minor-league career, which is the main reason he never reached the same prospect status as fellow right-handed pitching prospects Morris and Culpepper. Klein probably won't succeed as a starting pitcher at the major-league level. However, with his fastball (which sits around 95-96 MPH), improved slider, and adequate changeup, he could consistently get major-league hitters out in a minimized role.

Minnesota had the 11th-worst bullpen in baseball for the final two months of the season, after parting ways with Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Brock Stewart, Louis Varland, and Danny Coulombe at the deadline. Cole Sands, Kody Funderburk, Topa, and Tonkin (if the club retains the latter two) are the only veteran relievers expected to possess bullpen spots entering next season. Four (potentially six) bullpen spots will be up for grabs come Spring Training, and with decision-makers forced to operate under significant spending restrictions, there's a wide-open lane for promotions from within.

That being the case, Minnesota could elect to add Klein to the 40-man roster, protecting him from being poached during the Rule 5 Draft with intentions of converting him into a short reliever. If that occurs, Klein would compete with fellow young, right-handed arms Travis Adams, Marco Raya, Pierson Ohl, and Cody Laweryson for mid-leverage relief roles. Given Klein's ascension and Adams, Raya, and Ohl's corresponding struggles at Triple-A and in the majors last season, Klein could outperform multiple members of that quartet, earning his first Opening Day roster spot at 23 years old.

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[Mike Sixel]

Yes.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

I don't know the whole picture as far as how many guys they will need to protect, but he is someone I would consider protecting.  He's probably at least as good as some of those other guys and could be useful with plenty of options. 

[Cory Engelhardt]

Of the other players you listed, I absolutely would see McCusker, Keirsey, Julien, Miranda, Fitzgerald, Gasper, Tonkin and Larnach being elsewhere as soon as possible. That creates the necessary room on the 40 man, and it's not even really a difficult call. 

And 100% I protect Klein. 

[Patzky]

Suddenly Kleins are in vogue.

[FlyingFinn]

Yes, protect Klein. He's still young enough and teams love to draft pitchers in the Rule 5 draft.

I'm apparently one of the few No's on Mendez for reasons stated in other posts (though we certainly have enough dead weight on the 40 man roster). Just don't think he will get picked.

[jmlease1]

I've been on the fence on Klein. Just not sure what his pathway is considering how many baserunners he allows, as noted in the article. I suspect he'd be more effective as a short outing reliever, and I certainly believe in giving starters who clawed up to the high minors a shot at relieving before moving on, so I'd lean towards protecting Klein. I think there's enough chaff to be culled off the 40-man (things open up further if guys like Outman and aren't around) to make room for someone who could be of use.

(and I think this is why CJ Culpepper gets protected as well: both he and Klein are guys that could be stashed in a bullpen for a season and I could easily see a team taking a shot at them to see what they can get out of sticking them in the bullpen. They certainly wouldn't be attached to keeping them in a rotation)

I'd rather keep someone like Klein at the back of the 40-man than a retread like Genesis Cabrera.

[palmspringstwinsfan]

Clearing rosters spots this year should be incredibly easy. There are 9 or 10 names that don’t belong anywhere near an MLB team. 

[DJL44]

They protected Adams, which looks like a mistake, and Klein seems better than Adams.

[mikelink45]

Why not?  They can clear half the 40 man and not suffer.  

[DocBauer]

They MIGHT keep Outman simply because of his speed and defense, though I didn't see great defense once he came over. And they MIGHT keep Fitzgerald as a utility INF. But they can quite easily clear about a dozen guys that don't fit any longer, including Miranda and Julien. They are both out of options and have to be kept or waived. I just don't see any need to protect them.

There's plenty of room to add all the arms and OF that we want, including Klein. He had a great season at AA and was so-so in his AAA debut. He's probably not ready yet. But well built and throwing hard stuff, he's the kind of rule 5 pick and stash a lot of teams would look to grab. You absolutely protect him and CJ Culpepper, who might end up in the pen at some point.

 

[sweetmusicviola16]

Klein or Gasper? Klein or Fitzgerald? Klein or Kreidler? Seems like a very easy and obvious choice.

[PatPfund]

Short answer, no.

Slightly longer, because it is highly unlikely anyone Rule 5 drafts someone with a history of control issues. You could even add that if drafted, I doubt Klein makes it out of ST, and definitely doesn't make it through the whole season with an MLB club.

An even longer answer involves the ins and outs of Rule 5. The main part is that anyone drafted has to be offered back to their original team if they don't stay with their new club at the MLB level all year (including extension of that year to prevent teams from hiding players on the injured list). In recent years almost all drafted players have been pitchers, because they are the easiest to hide; teams keep minimal benches, but also teams use a LOT of relievers and often require a couple to be recyclable with their AAA club (which a Rule 5 draftee is not).

Rule 5 is so difficult, only 40 MLB selections have been made across all of baseball over the past 3 years combined. So unless you think that Klein is one of the top 15 prospects in all of baseball, there is almost surely no reason to protect him.

But we can make space, so why not protect as many as possible? Because to protect them, you put them on the 40-man, and if you fill it up with marginal MLB talent that wouldn't have been drafted, and you need that spot to add an actual, cheap, proven MLB RP, you have to waive someone like Klein, And then he can be claimed with far fewer restrictions than Rule 5, and you really do lose him. The best way to protect Klein is to NOT put him on the 40-man.

Just consider the  Eiberson Castellano experience; Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Rule 5 to Twins, cut and returned to Philly at the end of ST. (Maybe if somebody drafts Klein, they start a wildness fix we benefit from when he is returned.)

I like your main list, but I wouldn't add anyone else you didn't consider a great candidate to break ST with the Twins. Our roster isn't good enough to force stellar depth in the minors.

[old nurse]

666. Has many meanings. Make it 6.66  and you say, not yet a major league pitcher 

[tony&rodney]

The Twins could have a dozen open spots on the 40 person, but no. Read PatPfund above for exact reason.

[DocBauer]

So ai guess I'm going to pretty much repeat what Cody posted, but let's just break down the current 40 man a bit differently. But let's assume for a moment ego and paranoia of "veteran status and depth" FINALLY goes out the window.

EASY CUTS:

Vazquez,  Gasper, Kreidler, Keirsey, Larnach, McCusker, Outman, Cabrera, Hatch, and Misiewicz. 

Larnach is moved somehow/someway. Vazquez is a FA. Only ego and paranoia keeps Outman. But why? Martin and Roden can play a little CF, and you are currently burning Rodriguez's option clock, so where does Outman POSSIBLY fit?

*Kreidler is a grab and cut later so we can hopefully keep him at St Paul.

A couple of these guys can be offered MILB deals. If they accept, fine. But otherwise, look elsewhere. Period!

The 40 man is now at 30.

PROBABLE CUTS:

Pereda, Fitzgerald, Julien, and Miranda.

No offense to Pereda, but Cardenas might be a solid #3 with a little more AAA time. And he just might accept a MILB deal to stick around. But there are probably similar options available. Still, I could see the Twins keeping him. Injuries or not, what has Miranda done the past year and a half? He wasn't even an average AAA player in 2025. Julien is a shadow of his former self for 2yrs now. And both are out of options! Simply put, they HAVE to make the 2026 roster or be waived anyway. So even with INF depth being an issue, why protect them at this point?

Fitzgerald, IMO, is a question mark. We don't have a backup SS unless Culpepper is promoted early, or the Twins believe Eeles might be ready, fully healthy now, to make a jump. Do they like Fitzgerald better than other players available on a cheap deal? So I can see reasons to just hold on to him, at least for a while.

So that should mean at least 3 more cuts.

The 40 man roster is now set at 27 WITH Fitzgerald. 

Simple math, that's 13 open spots to add! 

OBVIOUS ADDITIONS:

Morris, Prielipp, Rojas, Gonzalez. CJ Culpepper, and Klein.

Culpepper and Klein are exactly the kind of AA producers on the cusp of AAA that teams are looking to add in the rule 5 that they can stash on their rosters. In fact, they are the types of pitchers the Twins might be looking at as well, should they make a rule 5 selection. So Klein is taken care of, in regards to the OP. 

The 40 man is now at 33.

With little discrepancies here and there, very few AA position players are ever selected in the rule 5, much less kept. But the Twins have 3 worth serious consideration. They just traded for Mendez, and he's got real potential. But while almost 22yo...still young...and hasn't reached AAA yet and there are questions about his defense and his "lift" as a hitter, is anyone going to BITE and select him and stash him for a full season? That seems incredibly doubtful. 

Then comes Rosario. He was the MVP of the Midwest League in 2023, had an injury impacted 2024, and was probably screwed out of being the MVP in the Texas League here in 2025. He had a fantastic season! It's all the more outstanding due to an early funk he dug himself out of. But would a team look at this 23yo and his potential and want to stash him?

I think the Twins are safe if they don't add Mendez or Rosario. They have room to do so. But what are the odds that a team would not only select them, but roster them for an entire year? 

 

I'm saying there is very little risk, despite their potential, of being selected or kept. So no reason for being on the 40 man.

So we're still sitting at 33 of 40.

THIS is where I have a serious issue with the FO. You drafted Fedko. You stuck with him through some decent/mediocre seasons and a poor 2024. Why? Did you see him as roster depth and fodder? Or did you still see potential? Regardless, he had an OUTSTANDING age 25 season between AA and AAA. He reminds me so much of Lew Ford as a late developing 4th OF with a solid offensive profile. He's an easy addition for depth, or an easy pick for a lot of teams looking for a solid addition as a potential 4th OF. Even if he doesn't turn out, IMO, this is an easy 40 man add to see what he might provide for depth. Defense, at least in the corners. Some pop and speed and solid OB%. 

Why in hell would you let someone else find the possible next Lew Ford? He should be protected.

That puts the 40 man at 34. That leaves 6 spots for a 1B, #2 catcher, and 3 decent/solid BP additions. Funny how numbers work.

[Jacksson]

What's the worry?

Of the Possible 40 man roster subtractions, 10 could be given the boot with no adverse effect to the team. 

[Jacksson]

Not to mention the trade bait that could be moved over the offseason.

Lopez, Ryan, Jeffers, Wallner, Larnach could be moved.

Outman is just a change of scenery guy who showed ZERO and should be DFA.

Leaving plenty of roster space to the Twins to select 2-3 wildcards in the Rule 5.

[olerud]

That's a nothing burger story,  to suggest they'll keed kailea Rosario over larnach is insanity! Klein is beyond a long shot less than a 5% chance to make opening day Mendez has a better shot at being the opening day 1stbaseman which won't happen either!

[Doctor Gast]

Twins separated the wheat from the chaff. They gave away the wheat & kept the chaff & got a lot of chaff in return. Why do they love chaff? & what are they going to do with all that chaff they love to hoard? Why did they give away so much wheat that is hard to come by here?

We can eliminate a lot of chaff  & still have plenty to spare. My fear is that some seed might not get sifted out during the elimination process. Falvey often values the obtained chaff over our small seed.

[TwinsDr2021]

That we even are talking about a guy like Klein, just shows what a bang up job Falvey and the Front Office has done with this roster construction. For the most part I would laugh at an article about the importance of adding or not adding a Klein type pitcher on the 40 man, but with the current 40 man, why the heck not, It has been a minutes since I have seen a Twins 40 man look this bad. 

[old nurse]

14 hours ago, DocBauer said:

They MIGHT keep Outman simply because of his speed and defense, though I didn't see great defense once he came over. And they MIGHT keep Fitzgerald as a utility INF. But they can quite easily clear about a dozen guys that don't fit any longer, including Miranda and Julien. They are both out of options and have to be kept or waived. I just don't see any need to protect them.

There's plenty of room to add all the arms and OF that we want, including Klein. He had a great season at AA and was so-so in his AAA debut. He's probably not ready yet. But well built and throwing hard stuff, he's the kind of rule 5 pick and stash a lot of teams would look to grab. You absolutely protect him and CJ Culpepper, who might end up in the pen at some point.

 

They may look to grab but they do not keep. 

[Jeff K]

15 hours ago, DocBauer said:

They MIGHT keep Outman simply because of his speed and defense, though I didn't see great defense once he came over. And they MIGHT keep Fitzgerald as a utility INF. But they can quite easily clear about a dozen guys that don't fit any longer, including Miranda and Julien. They are both out of options and have to be kept or waived. I just don't see any need to protect them.

There's plenty of room to add all the arms and OF that we want, including Klein. He had a great season at AA and was so-so in his AAA debut. He's probably not ready yet. But well built and throwing hard stuff, he's the kind of rule 5 pick and stash a lot of teams would look to grab. You absolutely protect him and CJ Culpepper, who might end up in the pen at some point.

 

I agree that they ought to protect Fitzgerald simply because the Twins have so few options at SS.

[Otaknam]

Not sure why they would protect a guy whose walk rate and ERA are as high as Klein’s, even with a denuded bullpen. 

[FlyingFinn]

16 hours ago, PatPfund said:

Slightly longer, because it is highly unlikely anyone Rule 5 drafts someone with a history of control issues. You could even add that if drafted, I doubt Klein makes it out of ST, and definitely doesn't make it through the whole season with an MLB club.

If a pitcher gets drafted by the right team (a team that has no chance to make it to the playoffs), they are willing to have that pitcher take a spot in their bullpen all year. Think Tyler Wells when the Orioles were bad.

As far as pitchers with bad control changing things (not Rule 5 related), think about Cano. Went to the Orioles, they changed his arm angle, and he's had some decent years now.

[LyleCole]

The Twins should be "Buyers" in the Rule 5 draft although they are probably the only team in MLB that worries about the $100,000 fee to draft a player.  Find the best available relief type pitcher available and just plug him into the roster for the entire season.  

If we can't find a player better than John Klein in the Rule 5 draft we aint looking hard enough.

When considering the 40 man roster,  even though there seems to be a lot of room on the 40, there is some dynamic movements that will happen.  Even the low budget Twins will sign a handful of players in the offseason that would replace players on the 40 man roster.  

Michael Tonkin (his 36th birthday is coming up)

Kody Funderburk

Cody Laweyson

Anthony Misiewica

Genesis Cabrera

Thomas Hatch

James Outman

Ryan Fitzgerald

DaShawn Keirsey

Carson McCusker

Jose Miranda

Kody Clemens

Jhonny Pereda

Along with FA Christian Vazquez

If I was running the Twins I would go with a full rebuild that moved Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper to the major league roster (along with Emmanuel Rodriguez).   That is two potential 40 man roster spots, at a minimum, that no one is talking about now.

The time and cheap owner budget has come for a major rebuild of this roster centered on Jenkins.  I think they should trade Buxton and probably Pablo Lopez (adding more prospects to the 40 man roster), and perhaps even Joe Ryan.  Gut it, rebuild it.  If the present management cannot get it done, dump them.

 

 

[ashbury]

If we are talking about protecting John Klein then shouldn't we also be talking about protecting Mike Paredes who was better and pitched more innings at Wichita?

No? Then no.

[bean5302]

Klein is a23 at AAA, exit velo was a little higher than I'd like at 88.4, but the BABIP of .373 was the ERA killer. Gave up a lot of fly balls, but generated a lot of pop ups too.

Bottom line, age 23 and AAA with a 28.2% K rate. Keep him until you know more asbout what you've got. Looks like he was 94-96mph on his 4 seamer in his last start. He's a 5 pitch guy with 4 seam, sinker, cutter, curve and changeup.

Tonkin, McCusker, Keirsey are all easy cuts.
Gasper, Julien, Miranda are pretty easy too.

[DannySD]

I suppose deadline sellers know less about how desirable their prospects are, but Klein and Culpepper both seem to have a spot available. 

wow... there were ten worse post-deadline bullpens...

[PatPfund]

9 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

If a pitcher gets drafted by the right team (a team that has no chance to make it to the playoffs), they are willing to have that pitcher take a spot in their bullpen all year. Think Tyler Wells when the Orioles were bad.

As far as pitchers with bad control changing things (not Rule 5 related), think about Cano. Went to the Orioles, they changed his arm angle, and he's had some decent years now.

If a team is willing to guarantee 1/26th of their active MLB roster to an undrafted free agent signee with a 6.66 ERA in a handful of AAA innings we should just hope and pray they are in our division. Recent history shows 15 or fewer players total will get picked, and even many of those get returned (like Castellano). There are a LOT of better teams than the Twins (Phillies, Dodgers, Braves, etc) with as many (or more) prospects on the cusp of MLB. People are not going to be deep diving our farm system.

FYI, Wells had a 2.49 ERA and a WHIP under 1 in 119 IP when he was Rule 5'd; that is the profile that attracts attention, not bad counting stats with only mediocre underlying indications.