Dixon Machado

The Detroit Tigers added infielder Dixon Machado to their 40-man roster Thursday to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

(AP File Photo)

The Detroit Tigers added two players to their 40-man roster prior to the deadline Thursday to protect them from next month's Rule 5 draft.

The Tigers announced this morning that they have purchased the contracts of infielder Dixon Machado and pitcher Angel Nesbitt from Double-A Erie.

The Tigers now have 40 players on their 40-man roster.

Machado, 22, hit .286 with 75 runs, 31 doubles, six home runs and 40 RBIs in 131 games in Single-A Lakeland and Double-A Erie in 2014. He hit .305 in 90 games for Erie and was named the Eastern League Player of the Month for August.

Machado, who plays extremely well defensively and has a strong arm, hadn't hit much at all during his time in the minors prior to breaking out after he joined Erie.

"I was encouraged with Dixon's improved hitting this year," Tigers assistant general manager Al Avila said. "The main reason for his improvement was that his body is finally showing signs of getting stronger. Dixon has a sound hitting approach and a good swing."

Nesbitt, 23, went 3-0 with a 1.49 ERA, 72 strikeouts and 20 saves in 48 games for Single-A Lakeland and Double-A Erie in 2014. Opponents batted just .183 against him.

The Rule 5 draft is scheduled for Dec. 11, the final day of the winter meetings in San Diego. Players are eligible for the draft if:

They were 19 or older when they signed and have played four years of professional ball or if they were 18 or older when they signed and have played five years.

They are not on their team's 40-man roster.

A player selected in the Rule 5 draft must remain on his new team's 25-man roster for the following season. If not, he has to be offered back to his original team.

The Tigers prospect most likely to be selected by another team in the Rule 5 draft is right-handed pitcher Edgar De La Rosa. Relief pitcher Joel Hanrahan, who recently signed a minor-league deal with the Tigers, is also eligible to be selected.

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