Surprising News: The Phillies to take the Plunge on four Pitchers in the Rule 5 Draft

This year’s Rule 5 Draft at the MLB Winter Meetings features some intriguing arms.

The MLB Winter Meetings are under underway in Nashville, Tenn., which means the Rule 5 Draft is rapidly approaching. This year’s draft will be held on December 6, and each team will have the ability to select unprotected players from other clubs at both the major league and minor league levels. This does not imply that every team will.

Teams can pick qualifying non-40-man roster players from other clubs in the Rule 5 Draft for $100,000 and place them on their own 40-man roster. These picks must be allocated to the drafting team’s 26-man roster and remain there for the season, or they must be returned to their original team, who may or may not accept them.

The Philadelphia Phillies famously returned Rule 5 choice Shane Victorino to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Because the Dodgers did not want him, he remained in the lower leagues with the Phillies before winning the World Series in 2008.

Last year, 14 players were selected in the big league part of the Rule 5 Draft, with eight receiving major league experience. The Philadelphia Phillies took a chance on Boston Red Sox right-hander Noah Song. Song’s time in Philadelphia didn’t work out after he was placed on the military list, and the Phillies moved him back to Boston in August.

The Phillies did not protect any players from the Rule 5 Draft this year, but that does not mean they will not hunt for hidden gems in the weeds of other organizations. With few openings in non-throwing positions, it stands to reason that the Phillies would search for pitching talent.

So, which pitchers are available in this year’s Rule 5 Draft that Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld could be willing to take a chance on? Here are four intriguing names that have not been registered.

Matt Sauer, RHP, New York Yankees

New York Yankees No. 25 prospect Matt Sauer has primarily been a starter, but there’s no reason his stuff wouldn’t play out of the bullpen. A 2017 second-round draft pick, Sauer’s progression has been hampered by injuries, per MLB.com, including Tommy John surgery in 2019 and two months on the IL with a forearm strain this season.

The 24-year-old right-hander has a riding 93-95 mph fastball and a mid-80s slider, which he used to put together a 3.42 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 83 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings at Double-A this season. Sauer threw 10 2/3 innings in the Arizona Fall League but didn’t fair quite as well in that hitter-friendly environment. He recorded 18 strikeouts but finished with a 5.91 ERA.

Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, RHP, Texas Rangers

Right-handed reliever Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa hasn’t faced very much advanced competition but excelled when he did this year in the Arizona Fall League.

The 23-year-old out of Hawaii only got as high as High-A during the regular season. Per MLB.com, he only pitched the second half of the season after dealing with non-structural shoulder issues in the first half. He pitched to a 2.96 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 25 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings out of the bullpen across three levels.

Hoopii-Tuionetoa’s 94-99 mph fastball and hard slider make him intriguing. He used those offerings to record a 0.00 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings of relief work in the AFL. And we know how much Dombrowski and the Phillies love velocity in the bullpen, via Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required).

Tyler Owens, RHP, Atlanta Braves

Tyler Owens, Atlanta Braves No. 26 prospect, is another arm with plenty of velocity to entice the Phillies. The 22-year-old pitched 65 1/3 innings between High- and Double-A this season, with a 3.03 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. He spent time both as a starter and reliever.