The 2018 Rule 5 Draft

[Squire]

After the release of Bour the Phillies 40 man is at 34. Among numerous others the following prospects are eligible to be selected if not protected

RHP Adonis Medina - No brainer
2B Daniel Brito
SS Arquimedes Gamboa
INF Jose Gomez
C Deivi Grullon
OF Jose Pujols
RHP Tom Eshelman
RHP Luke Leftwich
LHP Tyler Gilbert

[Philsmania]

After the release of Bour the Phillies 40 man is at 34. Among numerous others the following prospects are eligible to be selected if not protected

RHP Adonis Medina - No brainer
2B Daniel Brito
SS Arquimedes Gamboa
INF Jose Gomez
C Deivi Grullon
OF Jose Pujols
RHP Tom Eshelman
RHP Luke Leftwich
LHP Tyler Gilbert

None of them blow me away and I doubt Eshelman gets selected after his dismal 2018. Gamboa could possibly be picked as a Michael Martinez-type.

[andyb]

Guessing Medina, Grullon, and Pujols. Gamboa and Gilbert would be possibles. Just don't think anyone will want Eshelman after his season last year and both Brito and Gamboa would be pretty hard pressed to stick on a major league roster.

So no reason to get close to 40 at this point IMO. Might as well draft a reliever or something in the rule 5.

[julio]

After the release of Bour the Phillies 40 man is at 34.

Justin Bour has been released? Reportedly placed on waivers, but I hadn't seen anything about release vs. being claimed/outrighted.

[Squire]

Loose language on my part. I meant to say removed not released.

Though I'd be stunned if he accepts an assignment rather than accept free agency which I think are his options.

[julio]

Loose language on my part. I meant to say removed not released.

Oh, OK. I don't know whether he qualifies to refuse an outright assignment (if he's not claimed - or traded). I don't suppose it matters, in terms of the roster - I don't think the waivers that were reported would be revocable (I haven't gone back and reviewed the waiver rules, and it's complex), so one way or the other, he will presumably be off the roster when the waiver period expires.

[zambonir]

I imagine he can refuse. But wouldn't the Phillies still have to tender him and pay him a major league salary if he stayed in the organization?

[julio]

If he accepted an outright assignment? I’m not sure; they could always choose to non-tender him at the deadline for that.

[andyb]

It would probably be the AAA major league veteran minimum ($100-$150K) rather than a major league salary. All the AAAA players get deals like that. Bour would accept free agency since he can do much better than that.

[Austinfan]

First, if they sign a FA(s), the number of spots are reduced.

RHP Adonis Medina - No brainer
2B Daniel Brito
SS Arquimedes Gamboa
INF Jose Gomez
C Deivi Grullon - good shot at a backup C role, defense and developing offense, still young
OF Jose Pujols - too much upside to let walk this year
RHP Tom Eshelman
RHP Luke Leftwich - AFL performance says he has a good shot at middle relief and provides depth this year
LHP Tyler Gilbert

I don't see the others getting claimed, too far away or haven't shown enough.

[julio]

Bour would accept free agency since he can do much better than that.

Actually, if I'm reading the CBA correctly, Bour cannot opt for free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment. Article XIX says that players with five years or more service time cannot be outrighted without their consent; Bour has only 4.064 years service time (per B-R). The Phils could choose to release Bour; that might require another round of waivers (assuming that the waivers Salisbury reported were outright waivers, not unconditional release waivers).

If the Phils outright Bour, there are still restrictions on the minimum salary they could tender him for 2019. Basically, this would depend on whether his 2018 contract contained a separate "if in the minors" salary (some do; the Phils tend to do this with younger players - but Bour didn't sign his contract with the Phillies, so who knows?). If there's a separate "minors" salary in his 2018 contract, the minimum tender would be based on that (no less than 50% of that amount, or the minor league minimum, if higher). If there's no separate "minors" salary in his 2018 contract, then his 2018 minor league salary is assumed to be the same as his major-league salary ($3.4 million). In this latter case, the minimum minor-league tender for 2019 would be $1.7 million.

[zambonir]

I would think if the Phillies were assigning him to AAA (and he doesn't have a split contract) he'd be paid his major league salary. Obviously that's not going to happen. And even if he couldn't refuse the assignment he'd still become a free agent once non-tendered.

Since he's on waivers, not DFA'ed, no trade option either (i.e. a team can't jump in and make an offer for him before he officially hits waivers - he's already on 'em).,

It will be interesting to see how many spots they leave open on Tuesday, and/or if they try to trade Franco (or maybe Altherr?) before the draft.

(Oops, posted just as julio did. Well, we'll know this soon enough. I assume their intent is to let him move on and find a better situation regardless).

[julio]

I assume their intent is to let him move on and find a better situation regardless

I assume so.

If the intent here was to clear him off the roster now, since they intend to non-tender him (which seems to be the case), then their NOT waiving Altherr, or Avilan, or Garcia (assuming they didn't - it's possible they DID ask waivers on these guys, and it just didn't get reported) would suggest that they're not planning to non-tender them?

As zambonir said... we'll see soon enough!

[zambonir]

Well, they have more time on those non-tenders don't they? Not that it would help them protect anyone in the minors, but they can protect 38 or 39 or even 40 on Tuesday and then shed a couple of people (to open space for a FA or trade acquisition) before the actual non-tender deadline and draft, right?

Those three players are all cheap enough to create plenty of choices. Avilan more expensive than the others but probably the best asset too. Anyway, there's still time regardless. For all we know they'll trade Franco or Altherr or Avilan tomorrow.

[julio]

Well, they have more time on those non-tenders don't they?

Yes, they have until the 30th (the non-tender deadline). I guess they might choose to wait if they think they can move one of those guys - or if they value them higher than the prospect they'd have to expose to the Rule 5 draft.

That suggests they didn't value Bour more than the fifth or sixth most valuable prospect they're planning to add to the roster between now and Tuesday...

[zambonir]

And that's probably an accurate valuation, once they'd determined he had no future in Philadelphia and there was no trade market for him. Garcia or Altherr may or may not be worth more than that. Altherr seems worth hanging onto to me, until the entire OF picture shakes out. Whereas even though the Phillies technically don't know who their 1B is this year, they know that whether it is Hoskins, Santana or both, there won't be enough starts for someone else, or room on the bench for a 1B.

[Squire]

The BA writer listed the Phillies as one of the Top 5 teams with room to add noting that Adonis Medina would be protected but guys like Gomez, Brito and Leftwich probably weren't worth protecting right now.

[Jeff05]

Matt Winkelman's preview.

[Austinfan]

Odds that anyone worth adding is available where the Phillies pick is slim.
They're good enough and deep enough that stashing a player on the 25 who can't contribute is unlikely.

[Squire]

FWIW, I'd add Medina, Grullon, Pujols and maybe Gamboa