3 players the Pirates should keep an eye on in the Rule 5 Draft

The deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft by adding them to the 40-man roster passed on Tuesday. The draft is scheduled for Dec.11th, and will take place during the Winter Meetings. The Pittsburgh Pirates did not fill their 40-man roster, leaving two open spots, so they will have a chance to add a player during the Rule 5 Draft. However, in order to keep that player, they must stick on their active roster for the entirety of the 2025 campaign, excepting injuries.

The Rule 5 Draft is always a shot in the dark, but occasionally, teams can find diamonds in the rough. Given that the only thing a team sacrifices to select a player is $100K, there is zero risk in taking a player. So, who are some Rule 5-eligible players the Bucs should consider taking if they are available?

The Pirates should keep these Rule 5 draft eligible pitchers on their radar.

Coleman Crow

Coleman Crow is one of the better prospects on this list. Originally a 28th-round pick by the Los Angeles Angels in 2019, Crow was sent to the New York Mets in exchange for Eduardo Escobar. Crow’s tenure in NY did not last long, as he was traded again that December for pitcher Adrian Houser and outfielder Tyrone Taylor.

Crow has missed most of the last two seasons. He only started four games and pitched 24 innings before landing on the IL in May. He eventually underwent Tommy John surgery in August, eliminating him for all of 2024 as well. For what it’s worth, Crow pitched well when he was healthy.

He only allowed five earned runs with 31 strikeouts for the Angels’ Double-A team. Crow was susceptible to the long ball with a 1.13 HR/9 rate, but he only allowed a half-dozen batters to reach via free pass. It’s a minimal sample size, but at least he performed well before hitting the injured list and eventually undergoing elbow surgery.

Crow isn’t a hard-throwing pitcher, sitting in the low-90s with his four-seamer, but he has a plus curveball that averages out in the mid-70s. His slider is another average to above-average pitch that comes in around the mid-80s. The fourth pitch of his arsenal is a mid-80s changeup with some arm-side fade. Crow has displayed some decent command throughout the minor leagues as well. He is currently ranked as the Brew Crew's 30th best prospect on MLB Pipeline.