Phillies select SS Holder in Rule 5 Draft
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PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies need a little bit of everything to improve their 40-man roster, so they took an infielder in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft on Thursday.
? 2020 Rule 5 Draft results, pick by pick
The Phillies selected Yankees shortstop Kyle Holder with the 11th overall pick. Holder, 26, slashed .265/.336/.405 with nine home runs, 40 RBIs and a .742 OPS in 472 plate appearances with Double-A Trenton in 2019. He has a .667 OPS in five Minor League seasons, but he has shown improvement offensively. The Yanks made Holder part of their 60-man player pool this summer, indicating they were comfortable with the possibility of him joining the big league club at some point.
The Yankees selected Holder from the University of San Diego with the 30th pick in the 2015 Draft.
¡°Kyle is a natural shortstop and a plus defender at the position, and he has shown good progress offensively,¡± Phillies pro scouting director Mike Ondo said in a statement. ¡°We¡¯re excited to welcome him to our organization.¡±
It is the first time the Phillies have not immediately traded a Rule 5 Draft pick since 2015, when they selected both outfielder Tyler Goeddel and left-hander Daniel Stumpf. Holder gives the Phils additional depth up the middle. Their only middle infielders on the 40-man roster are Jean Segura, Scott Kingery and Nick Maton. Shortstop Didi Gregorius remains a free agent.
The Phillies did not lose a player in the Major League phase of the Draft, but the Yankees selected right-hander Reggie McClain in the Triple-A phase. McClain made the Phils¡¯ Opening Day bullpen this year. He allowed six runs in 5 1/3 innings over five appearances.