"That left the likes of Jake Vogel, Austin Gauthier and Ryan Ward, among other Dodgers Minor Leaguers who could be taken in the annual Rule 5 process. The Dodgers wound up losing Garrett McDaniels (Los Angeles Angels), Hyun-il Choi (Washington Nationals), Michael Hobbs (New York Mets), Orlando Ortiz Mayr (Miami Marlins) and Jefferson Valladares (Minnesota Twins). McDaniels was later returned to the Dodgers organization after he was designated for assignment by the Angels and cleared waivers."
"Ward enjoyed a productive season with Triple-A Oklahoma City that saw him hit .290/.380/.557 with 31 doubles, six triples, 36 home runs and 122 RBI over 143 games. He set career highs in games played, doubles, home runs, RBI and with 83 walks. Despite Ward's offensive production and the Dodgers' need for improvement in left field, he seemingly was never fully considered for a promotion to the Major League roster. Opportunities instead went to the likes of Esteury Ruiz and Justin Dean."
The Los Angeles Dodgers protected only Jack Dreyer from Rule 5 eligibility last offseason, leaving several minor leaguers exposed. The Dodgers lost multiple prospects in the Rule 5 process, though Garrett McDaniels was later returned after being designated for assignment. Roughly one year later the Dodgers added Ryan Ward to the 40-man roster to prevent minor-league free agency. Ward hit .290/.380/.557 with 31 doubles, six triples, 36 home runs and 122 RBI over 143 Triple-A games and set several career highs. Ward did not receive a major-league promotion despite the production and was named Pacific Coast League MVP for 2025.
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