Which 2026 MLB Deadline candidate did Boston select from the Yankees in the 2020 Rule 5 draft?

Which 2026 MLB Deadline candidate did Boston select from the Yankees in the 2020 Rule 5 draft? The answer is Garrett Whitlock.

The Boston Red Sox selected right-handed pitcher Garrett Whitlock from the New York Yankees in the major-league phase of the 2020 Rule 5 Draft. The Yankees had drafted Whitlock out of the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the 18th round in 2017, but he was left unprotected after recovering from elbow surgery.

Boston saw enough potential to take the risk. Under Rule 5 restrictions, a selected player generally must remain on the selecting club’s active roster or injured list for the following season, or be offered back to his original organization. Whitlock stayed with Boston and quickly became an important pitcher.

He opened his Red Sox career as a versatile reliever and later handled starting assignments. His success made the transaction especially memorable because Rule 5 selections are often viewed as long-shot roster bets. Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck were also Boston pitchers, but none was the Yankees player chosen in that 2020 draft.