Angels may regret leaving these two pitching prospects unprotected for Rule 5 Draft

The Angels received league-wide praise for their trade that sent Taylor Ward to Baltimore in exchange for former top pitching prospect and potential ace Grayson Rodriguez. It got the offseason started off with a boom for the Halos, as they hope to take another step forward in 2026 and hopefully end their MLB-worst 11-year playoff drought.

The Angels still need rotation help - especially with the expected innings limit for Rodriguez. Finding a frontline starter in free agency is a must, but their depth is going to be important for 2026 as well. That got made a little more difficult as the team opted to leave two promising arms unprotected for the Rule 5 Draft, deciding not to add them to the 40-man roster ahead of the deadline. The club did protect Walbert Urena, who has a lot of potential in his own right.

Angels leave two young arms unprotected for Rule 5 Draft

While Caden Dana, Sam Aldegheri, Mitch Farris, and others will compete to be the team's sixth starter/swing man for 2026, they may need more depth beyond that. None of those three names have been lights out in the big leagues, and the Halos know as well as any other club that one can never have too many good pitchers. They need bullpen help as well, and may be forced into choosing a quantity over quality approach given their needs elsewhere on the roster.

Despite that, the team will allow Top 30 prospects Samy Natera Jr. (ranked 20th by MLB.com) and Joel Hurtado (22) to enter the Rule 5 Draft unprotected, free for any of the other 29 teams to take a swing on them. Both have shown flashes of big league potential, with Natera Jr. especially seeming close to debuting for the Angels.

In Triple-A last season, Natera Jr. made eight appearances as a relief pitcher for the Salt Lake City Bees. He struck out 17 batters in 9.1 innings pitched, ending his 2025 season on a high note and making his name one to watch for Spring Training in 2026. Now, that may be another team's job. Left-handed relievers who strike out batters like Natera Jr. do are a a hot commodity in baseball, and seeing a team swipe him up during the Rule 5 Draft would not be a surprise.

Hurtado was one of the better pitchers for the Angels' Double-A team last season, posting a 2.70 ERA in 18 starts. He capped off the season making a start for the Bees, going five innings with a 3.60 ERA. He would be a second-tier candidate for the Angels' rotation depth next season, and seeing him in Spring Training would have been exciting. While he does not strike out batters as much as fans hope for, Hurtado is an effective pitcher.

While either of these players could remain in Anaheim into the 2026 season, the Angels had the roster space to add these arms without needing to drop anyone. Now, they have to wait and see if another team swipes up either Natera Jr. or Hurtado.