Phillies protect six from Rule 5 Draft
This browser does not support the video element.
PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies president Andy MacPhail said a few weeks ago that they could move forward without a new head of baseball operations in the short term, because the next several weeks would be mostly internal decisions about their own players.
Friday was one of those days.
They announced that they placed six players on the 40-man roster, the deadline to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft: left-handers Kyle Dohy, Damon Jones and Bailey Falter; right-hander Francisco Morales; infielder Nick Maton and outfielder Simon Muzziotti.
Morales is the organization’s No. 4 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He could be a stud in the Phillies’ rotation at some point. He has a fastball that touches 98 mph. He also throws a nasty slider, which got a 30 percent swing-and-miss rate in 2019, and a solid changeup. He is only 21 and has not pitched above Class A Lakewood, so he is probably at least a year away from helping the Phillies in the big leagues, but it looks like the $900,000 they paid him in the 2016-17 international signing period was well spent.
Muzziotti is the No. 11 prospect in the organization. Maton is No. 13, Jones is No. 15 and Dohy is No. 27.
This browser does not support the video element.
Muzziotti is a high-contact hitter who plays an above-average center field, which could have made him intriguing to another team, despite the fact he has not played above Class A Advanced Clearwater. The Phillies placed Maton on their 60-man player pool this summer. He could break into the big leagues next season in a utility role. Jones and Dohy could help the Phillies’ bullpen next season.
This browser does not support the video element.
The Phillies selected Falter in the fifth round of the 2015 Draft. Falter, 23, went 6-5 with a 3.84 ERA for Double-A Reading in 2019.
The Phillies have 37 players on the 40-man roster.