Winter 2017-18 40 Man Roster / Rule 5 Draft

andyb 2017-12-14 21:58:33 UTC #221

Tocci more would slot in as an OF bench player can pinch hit and run a lot. Clearly behind Quinn in the running for that job and likely 1-2 veterans that get brought in to compete for jobs in Spring Training.

Greater than 50-50 odds he does not stick anyway. Will be nice to have him back but not expecting too much even if they do.

allentown 2017-12-14 22:15:34 UTC #222

If he could run a lot, he'd be likelier to stick. Unfortunately for him he has never learned to steal bases.

andyb 2017-12-14 22:18:38 UTC #223

Definitely. Just assuming his role on the bench would include pinch hitting and double switching for the obvious slow guys like Franco. Though to be fair, on our anticipated roster we would not do a whole lot of pinch running. All three OFs can run as well as Tocci. Plus our two middle infielders. So we are running for 1B, 3B, and C potentially.

Quinn on the other hand might run for almost anyone if we really needed a SB late in the game. Part of the reason I really want him to win the 4th OF job. He'd be a weapon in that role.

LoneStarPhan 2017-12-14 22:41:48 UTC #224

I think the Phillies have decided that Tocci is a long shot to make the majors and at best, he would be backup outfielder. No doubt they have several minor league outfielders that they value more highly.

I agree that I hate seeing 40 man spaces filled by players such as Joseph, who I don't see being with the organization by the end of spring training. I do, however, realize that they have reasons for him still being there. Perhaps they still think they can deal him and I am sure they will have to open more roster spaces between now and the start of the season. They may have felt they are more likely to retain Tocci and some others by exposing them to the rule 5 draft as opposed to adding them to the 40 and then having to remove them later, when they could be claimed without the rule 5 conditions. Regardless, Tocci is now a Ranger but I think the odds are greater than 50-50 that he will end up returned. The others exposed to the rule 5 draft passed through and are now safe in the organization for another year.

At the end of the day, the Phillies IMO came through today about as well as I could have expected.

julio 2017-12-14 22:47:44 UTC #225

This is key. They've said they intend to pursue at least one starting pitcher. They need roster space to do that, so they need somebody on the roster who they can either trade, or else try to outright without catastrophic results. They presumably decided that Joseph has more value today in potential trade than Tocci, or conversely that he would be a bit less vulnerable if placed on outright waivers (depending on what they expect the eventual move to be). It's not clear that's not right.

And of course, it's not at all clear that Tocci won't be returned - the Rule 5 requirements will make it harder for the Rangers to hang onto him than if he'd been added to the Phils' roster, and subsequently waived.