Diamondbacks protect INF Tim Tawa, RHP Joe Elbis from Rule 5 Draft

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected the contracts of infielder Tim Tawa and right-handed pitcher Joe Elbis to the 40-man roster on Tuesday to protect them from next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

Tuesday was the deadline to submit 40-man rosters, and eligible players left unprotected will enter the Rule 5 Draft pool at the Winter Meetings on Dec. 11.

Players who sign at 18 years old or younger become eligible if left off the 40-man roster after their fifth pro season. Those who signed at 19 years or older become eligible after their fourth pro campaign.

Outfielder Kristian Robinson is the most well known player the D-backs elected not to protect on the 40-man roster. Outfielder A.J. Vukovich and pitchers Austin Pope, Kyle Backhus and Jamison Hill are also available to be poached.

Arizona’s 40-man roster is now 37 players deep.

Who is Tim Tawa?

Tawa played every position on the diamond last year except pitcher and catcher.

The 25-year-old has also hit at every level in the minor leagues, finishing his 2024 campaign with an .868 OPS and 31 home runs between Triple-A Reno and Double-A Amarillo.

Tawa was a Texas League All-Star for the Sod Poodles, and he hit 10 home runs in only 25 games for the Aces.

Arizona drafted Tawa in the 11th round of the 2021 MLB Draft from Stanford, where he was teammates with D-backs 2023 first-round pick Tommy Troy.

Tawa is a right-handed batter.

Light Tawa Powa 💣

Tim Tawa leads the Texas League in homers and just mashed his first Triple-A home run 🤩 pic.twitter.com/HvOZBGVjFP

— Reno Aces (@Aces) August 22, 2024

Who is Joe Elbis?

Elbis is a 22-year-old starting pitcher from Venezuela who reached Double-A in 2024.

He previously earned the Northwest League Pitcher of the Month for May while with High-A Hillsboro, throwing 25.2 innings with one earned run in that span. He produced a 2.79 ERA for the Hops in 16 starts before reaching Amarillo in July. Elbis made made eight starts at the Double-A level with a 4.60 ERA.

Elbis finished the season with a 3.39 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 135.1 innings.

He is the second-youngest player on Arizona’s 40-man roster, only three months older than starting pitcher Cristian Mena.

Elbis is listed at 6-foot-1, 150 pounds.

Joe Elbis gets his first Double-A strikeout pic.twitter.com/mQdOIXm4dm

— Amarillo Sod Poodles (@sodpoodles) July 31, 2024

What happens to players taken in the Rule 5 Draft?

As was the case with former Diamondbacks prospect Deyvison De Los Santos, losing a player in the Rule 5 Draft does not guarantee they are gone for good. The player drafted must make their new team’s active roster to start the following season or else they are offered back to their original club.

De Los Santos was drafted by the Cleveland Guardians, did not make the cut and returned to Arizona. The D-backs took advantage by dealing the infielder to Miami for reliever A.J. Puk.

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