The Nationals protected a trio of prospects from the 2025 Rule 5 Draft on Tuesday.
“When we think through who we’re going to protect or not, I think the big piece of it is, ‘What are the odds that we think a certain player is going to not only get selected, but then stick on a team’s roster the duration of the season?’” president of baseball operations Paul Toboni said last week at GM Meetings.
“A lot of that plays into account. Then also, just the talent at the bottom of our roster and whether we think there is a pick worth making and what kind of upgrade it would be for us. Those are all important considerations.”
Bennett, 24, was a second-round pick by the Nationals in the 2022 Draft out of Oklahoma. He missed the entire 2024 season because of Tommy John surgery, and he returned with a strong ‘25 performance. In 19 games (18 starts) between Single-A Fredericksburg, High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg, Bennett went 2-5 with a 2.27 ERA and 64 strikeouts to 19 walks across 75 1/3 innings. He led the Arizona Fall League in strikeouts, ranked second in innings pitched and earned a Fall Stars Game selection.
The Nationals acquired Franklin, 25, from the Cubs in the 2025 Michael Soroka trade. Chicago selected him in the fourth round of the 2021 Draft out of Arkansas. Franklin spent all of last season in Triple-A, slashing .272/.390/.427 with 12 home runs, 23 doubles, five triples and 19 stolen bases in 117 games between the Rochester and Iowa clubs. Over the last two seasons, Franklin ranks eighth in on-base percentage and is tied for 12th in walks among all Minor League players.
Cornelio, 25, was named the Nationals’ 2025 Minor League Pitcher of the Year. A 2022 seventh-round pick by the Nats out of Texas Christian, Cornelio ascended from High-A Wilmington to Double-A Harrisburg to Triple-A Rochester last season. He was 6-7 with a 3.28 ERA and 135 strikeouts to 55 walks in 27 games (26 starts) across 134 1/3 frames. Cornelio led the Nats’ farm system in ERA, opponents’ batting average (.205) and starts. He also ranked second in strikeouts, WHIP (1.15) and innings pitched.
The Rule 5 Draft is scheduled to take place Dec. 10 at the Winter Meetings in Orlando. In order to protect players from being eligible for selection by another organization, players who first signed at age 18 or younger need to be added to the 40-man roster within five seasons, and players signed at age 19 or older need to be added within four seasons.
Prospects who were invited to Major League Spring Training last year and were not protected from the Rule 5 Draft include right-hander Tyler Stuart (No. 28, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery), right-hander Marquis Grissom Jr. and infielder Cayden Wallace.
