Rays Prospect Making Strong Case To Be Added to 40-Man Roster To Avoid Rule 5 Draft
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The Tampa Bay Rays have some major decisions to make ahead of the Rule 5 Draft this year. Three players who are top 30-ranked prospects in the organization need to be added to the 40-man roster to avoid being part of the pool of draft-eligible players.
Catcher Dominic Keegan, who is No. 15 in the organization, seems like a good bet to be protected. The team is focused on upgrading behind the plate, and with a strong offseason showing, he could be in the mix for a spot on the Big League roster.
Versatile infielder Cooper Kinney, who is ranked No. 17, also needs to be protected. Selected ahead of their current No. 1-ranked prospect, Carson Williams, in the 2021 MLB Draft, it would be a shock if Kinney isn’t retained. Injuries are the only thing keeping him from the Major Leagues.
Last but not least is another versatile infielder, Jadhar Areinamo. Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers ahead of the MLB trade deadline in July in the Danny Jansen trade, he is the No. 24-ranked prospect and also needs to be protected.
Rays have tough decision to make with Jadher Areinamo
The decision to add him to the 40-man roster is the most difficult one the Rays will have, in the opinion of Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com.
One of the reasons Tampa Bay has to think long and hard about protecting him is that he will likely draw interest from other franchises. He has played all over the dirt as a professional and has the tools to become, at the very least, a useful utility player at the highest level.
Areinamo makes a ton of contact, which teams value. That has led to suppressed strikeout numbers, with a career strikeout rate of only 12.2%.
However, there are some areas of improvement for him to make with his approach at the plate. Despite not going down via strikes with regularity, he expands the zone way too often. His chase rate of 34% is far from ideal and could indicate struggles ahead against better competition.
Jadher Areinamo making strong case to be placed on 40-man roster
Between High-A Wisconsin and Double-A Montgomery, he produced some impressive numbers at only 21 years old. Areinamo had a .285/.344/.445 slash line with 15 home runs, 32 doubles, 70 RBI and 21 stolen bases.
He packs a lot of punch into a 5-foot-8 frame and has not slowed down at all while participating in the Venezuelan Winter League.
Through 24 games and 105 plate appearances, Areinamo has torn the cover off the ball. He has a .337/.400/.685 slash line with eight home runs, six doubles, one triple and 27 RBI.
Nine walks have been drawn, and he has struck out only 11 times. That kind of production will certainly put him on the radar of other teams around the league. If he isn’t added to the Rays’ 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft, there is a strong likelihood someone else will take a shot on him.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.