BOSTON -- The Red Sox added pitching prospects Jalen Beeks, Chandler Shepherd and Ty Buttrey to the 40-man roster on Monday, protecting them for the upcoming Rule 5 Draft, which will take place at the Winter Meetings on Dec. 14 in Orlando, Fla.
With the moves, Boston's roster is now at 40, which means the team would have to clear spots for any Hot Stove acquisitions that take place in the coming weeks.
Beeks, a left-hander, is Boston's No. 16 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com.
The 24-year-old was named the Minor League Pitcher of the Year by the Red Sox in 2017 after going 11-8 with a 3.29 ERA in 26 starts for Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket. He struck out 9.62 per nine innings and held opponents to a .224 batting average. Beeks was a college teammate of Red Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi at the University of Arkansas in 2014. Boston selected him in the 12th round of the 2014 Draft.
Buttrey is a righty reliever who notched 74 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings while splitting the 2017 season between Portland and Pawtucket. The Red Sox took the 24-year-old in the fourth round of the 2012 Draft.
Shepherd, 25, was an invite to Major League camp by the Red Sox in '17, and was one of the final cuts. The 25-year-old righty made all but one of his 34 appearances for Pawtucket as a reliever while pitching his fourth year in Boston's farm system. He went 1-5 with a 4.07 ERA while striking out 68 and walking 18 in 59 2/3 innings. Shepherd was a 13th-round selection in 2014, and he has a 3.42 ERA and 15 saves in 125 Minor League appearances. He is ranked as Boston's No. 21 prospect.

The deadline for all teams to submit their 40-man rosters was Monday at 8 p.m. ET.
Players first signed at 18 years old 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. Players signed at 19 years or older have to be protected within four seasons.
Clubs pay $100,000 to select a player in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. If that player doesn't stay on the 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $50,000.
Right-handers Jake Cosart, Kyle Martin and Hildemaro Requena as well as left-hander Jhonathan Diaz, who are all among Boston's Top 30 prospects, were left unprotected.
The Red Sox' roster is as follows:
Pitchers (24)
Matt Barnes, Jalen Beeks, Ty Buttrey, Roenis Elias, Heath Hembree, Williams Jerez, Brian Johnson, Joe Kelly, Craig Kimbrel, Austin Maddox, Henry Owens, Drew Pomeranz, Rick Porcello, David Price, Eduardo Rodriguez, Chris Sale, Robby Scott, Chandler Shepherd, Carson Smith, Ben Taylor, Tyler Thornburg, Hector Velazquez, Brandon Workman, Steven Wright
Catchers (3)
Sandy Leon, Blake Swihart, Christian Vazquez
Infielders (9)
Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Marco Hernandez, Brock Holt, Tzu-Wei Lin, Deven Marrero, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, Sam Travis
Outfielders (4)
Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Bryce Brentz