Dustin Harris, a 2017 Land O’ Lakes High grad, was added to the Texas Rangers’ 40-man roster on Nov. 15, which, in turn, protected the player from the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 7.
Players who signed their first professional contract at age 18 or younger must be added to 40-man rosters within five seasons or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process. The Rule 5 Draft allows clubs without a full 40-man roster to select certain non-40-man roster players from other clubs.
Harris was an 11th round pick of the Oakland A’s in the 2019 draft, and was acquired by the Rangers in 2020 for a player to be named later.
Earlier this summer, Harris was featured in the 2022 MLB All-Star Futures Game. The game features the top minor league players from all the teams, in a seven-inning game to showcase their talents.
Harris, who was an outfielder for the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate for the Rangers, went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base during the game played on July 17.
This season for the RoughRiders, Harris batted .257 with 17 homers and 66 RBI.
As a senior with the Gators, he batted .473 with 44 hits, 20 RBI and 29 runs scored before enrolling at nearby St. Petersburg College. He was traded to the Rangers organization in 2020.
