CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians finalized their 40-man roster on Tuesday, adding four prospects and removing one right-hander, who helped them win the AL Central this year, in preparation for the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 10 at the winter meetings.
Right-hander Austin Peterson and outfielder Kahlil Watson were added to the 40-man roster from Triple-A Columbus.
Infielder Angel Genao and right-hander Yorman Gomez were selected from Double-A Akron.
Right-hander Nic Enright, shutdown near the end of last season because of an injured right elbow, was designated for assignment. Enright went 2-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 27 games for Cleveland. In 31 innings, he struck out 30, walked 12 and saved a game. He was scheduled to have Tommy John surgery on the elbow in the offseason.
Genao, Watson and Peterson were listed among the Guardians’ top 30 prospects by MLB.com. Here’s what they did last year.
- No. 3 prospect Genao hit .263 (80 for 335) with five homers and 42 RBI for Akron and the Arizona Complex League. Genao, 23, injured his right shoulder in spring training and didn’t reach Akron until June 6.
- No. 18 prospect Watson, 22, hit .250 (92 for 368) with 16 homers and 61 RBI at Akron and Triple-A Columbus. The Guardians acquired Miami’s No.1 pick in 2021 for Josh Bell in 2023.
- No. 30 prospect Peterson, 26, went 8-6 with a 3.21 ERA in 28 games, including 26 starts, at Akron and Columbus. He struck out 127 and walked 40 in 145 2/3 innings. He led Cleveland’s minor league pitchers in innings pitched.
Gomez, 23, went 12-2 with a 2.96 ERA and three saves at Lake County and Akron last season. He led the minor league system in wins and strikeouts with 139. He ranked second in ERA.
All MLB teams had to set their 40-man rosters by 6 p.m. Tuesday. Any eligible players left off the roster could be selected in the Rule 5 Draft.
Notable players that the Guardians left unprotected include: Wuilfredo Antunez, Kody Huff, Milan Tolentino, Dylan DeLucia, Trenton Denholm, Ryan Webb and Steve Perez.
Here are the requirements to be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.
- Players signed at age 18 or younger need to be added to their club’s 40-man roster within five seasons or they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.
- Players who signed at age 19 or older need to be protected within four seasons or they become eligible.
The cost for selecting a player in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft is $100,000. The drafting team must keep the player in the big leagues for at least 90 days. If not, they must offer to return the player to his original team along with $50,000.
There could be more openings on Cleveland’s 40-man roster on Friday when teams must tender contracts to players for 2026. Any unsigned player that is not offered a contract can be a free agent. That includes players eligible for salary arbitration.
Here are the Guardians’ six players eligible for arbitration and their projected 2026 salaries, according to MLB Trade Rumors:
- LHP Sam Hentges, $1.3375 million.
- OF Steven Kwan, $8.8 million.
- OF Nolan Jones, $2 million.
- OF Will Brennan, $900,000.
- UT David Fry, $1.2 million.
- and RHP Matt Festa, $1 million.
