Versatile Top Prospect Rangers Hope They Won’t Lose in Rule 5 Draft

The Texas Rangers have plenty of players available in the Rule 5 Draft, but this particular prospect is one they hope they won’t lose.

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The Texas Rangers have more than just a couple of high-value prospects available in the Rule 5 Draft at next week’s winter meetings.

In fact, per Baseball America (subscription required) the franchise has 28 players available between players that are part of the MLB Rule 5 draft and the minor league Rule 5 draft. Texas could be active as it has six open roster spots on its 40-man roster. But other teams could be active in plucking talent off its roster.

The site also expanded its Rule 5 players to watch from 35 to 50 earlier this week and a new name for the Rangers popped up — Cameron Cauley.

The Top 30 prospect, as ranked by MLB Pipeline, is one the Rangers are hoping they won’t lose next week.

Cameron Cauley’s Rise in the Rankings

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Cauley has only reached Double-A Frisco after five seasons as a pro, but he’s fashioned himself into a versatile defender who can play second base, shortstop and center field. It’s the same thing former prospects like Josh Smith and Ezequiel Duran have done to ensure they have Major League jobs. He played at least 25 games at each position for Frisco, where he slashed .253/.325/.448 with 15 home runs and 51 RBI.

He's developed a reputation for using his speed, which makes him a quality center field and has led him to steal 139 bases in the minor leagues. His bat has been the struggle and while he’s made progress, he’s at least a year away from being able to help a Major League team, whether it’s with the Rangers or another franchise.

The Rangers drafted Cauley in the third round of the 2021 MLB draft as a prep star out of Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, Texas. The Rangers gave him a quick audition with their Arizona Complex League team as he slashed .255/.311/.383 in 24 games, with four doubles, four triples and 17 RBI.

Cauley developed slowly, but surely, from there. With Class-A Down East in 2022 he struggled, as he slashed .209/.306/.289 with two home runs and 21 RBI in 76 games. From there, he bounced back. In 2023 with Down East and High-A Hickory he slashed a combined .245/.333/.411 in 100 games with 12 home runs and 59 RBI. With the surge in power came more attention from the organization and from prospect rankings.

He spent 2024 with Hickory, with a short stop in Arizona to rehab an injury. In 96 games he slashed .240/.304/.435 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI. During that season he was named a South Atlantic League player of the week.