Rule 5 Decisions: Carson Ragsdale

The Comeback Kid Gets Back in the Picture!

Photo Credit: Mick Anders | Richmond Flying Squirrels

For the next couple of weeks we’ll be examining the major cases of Rule 5 protection candidates, to see who the Giants might choose to add to the 40-man roster this year. The Rule 5 protection deadline this year is November 19. So far in the Rule 5 Decisions series, we’ve looked at:

• Setting Up the Rule 5 Decisions

• Cole Waites

• Juan Sanchez

• Aeverson Arteaga

EDITOR’S NOTE: What have I always said about playing clean baseball in the playoffs? A begrudging congratulations to the World Series Champion Dodgers, who do both the big things and the little things right, and don’t hand away free bases and outs like candy. Now the off-season calendar begins in earnest, and we’ll find out by Monday the answers to some of the questions we’ve asked already in this series.

EDITOR’S NOTE, PART 2: We already have our first update to this series. According to Baseball America’s latest Minor League Transactions Log (which are taken directly from transactions logged with MLB HQ), the Giants have re-signed LHP Juan Sanchez. This is presumably a guaranteed minor league deal, as no major league deal/move has been announced. And from this, we can probably ascertain that the Giants felt confident that they can retain Sanchez’s services without his ascending to the 40-man for now. As I noted in the piece, this was a likely strategy for the Giants, especially given the fact that they have the greatest knowledge of an insight into Sanchez’s health status. So, basically, just what I predicted in the post! One for one so far! Now, on to today’s topic…

On Wednesday, we took a look at a second-time Rule 5 eligible player who has spent most of the last 12 months recovering from surgery — meaning not much had changed in the development of Aeverson Arteaga. Today, we’ll flip that case study on its head. A year ago, when he was first eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft, Carson Ragsdale was a man missing in action, as he had been for most of the previous two years. Like Arteaga, Ragsdale’s progress had been stymied by thoracic outlet surgery, and recovery from that wiped out nearly all of his 2022 season. And where he had started out of the gates in 2023 looking like a full comeback was underway, he quickly fell victim to a nagging elbow discomfort that ultimately kept him away from the field after his May 13th start.

You can hear Carson discussing the difficult and sometimes harrowing journey through these trials and tribulations in his appearance on the There R Giants podcast:

There R Giants Pod-169 with Carson Ragsdale, Hunter Bishop, and Dennis Pelfrey

Though he’s been a favorite of scouts since his breakout 2021 year, two lost seasons — and no action above A-ball — meant he wasn’t a serious consideration to be poached a year ago. But in 2024, the long hoped for healthy season finally arrived, and Mr. Ragsdale took some tremendous development strides in the course of the season.

How much did that change the calculation for him? Let us investigate!