With Rule 5 Draft, Phillies put premium on flexibility

Though the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings started slow for the Phillies, business picked up as the week progressed in Nashville. Here’s what General Manager Matt Klentak did:

Signed RHP David Hernandez to 1-year, $3.9 million contract
Acquired RHP Vincent Velasquez, LHP Brett Oberholtzer, RHP Thomas Eshelman, OF Derek Fisher from Houston for RHP Ken Giles
Drafted OF Tyler Goeddel in Rule 5 Draft (Rays)
Drafted LHP Daniel Stumpf in Rule 5 Draft (Royals)

I broke up my breakdown into two parts. Here’s what I wrote about the Giles trade and Hernandez signing. Now, the Rule 5 Draft.

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Heading into the Rule 5 Draft, consensus opinion was the Phillies would draft an outfielder who could potentially start in a corner position in 2016. Two names emerged: Jabari Blash (Seattle) and Goeddel. The Phillies went with the latter, who according to some in the know, was the best player available.

Our Jay Floyd wrote about Goeddel, who has steadily improved each year in the Rays system. Last year in AA Montgomery he displayed a good hit tool, emerging power, good speed and potentially above-average defensive ability in the corners.

Goeddel has to be on the 25-man roster all season to remain with the Phillies. And like Odubel Herrera last season, he’ll get a real opportunity to stick. A right-handed hitter, he crushes left-handed pitching (37 hits, 14 extra-base hits in 108 plate appearances in 2015) and is a little below average against righties. But there’s room to improve. It’s possible the 23-year-old gets the bulk of time in left field, but it’s also possible he starts the season in a left field platoon with Cody Asche, making Peter Bourjos the fifth outfielder. That means Darnell Sweeney probably starts the season in AAA Lehigh Valley. It’s also possible Goeddel starts the season on the bench as Bourjos or Asche gets the starting job.

Either way Goeddel can be, like Aaron Altherr, a well-rounded, slightly above-average corner outfielder. He could also be a fourth outfielder. The chance is good to take this season.

The Phillies also selected left-handed reliever Stumpf, who could quickly slot into the bullpen to get outs against left-handed hitters. Turning 25 in January, Stumpf recorded a 3.57 ERA with 76 strikeouts and 31 walks in 70 innings with AA Northwest Arkansas. Lefties didn’t hit him (.167/.289/.250, 40 K, 18 BB).

At minimum, Stumpf enters a pseudo battle with Elvis Araujo for a left-handed reliever spot in the bullpen. Mario Hollands could join them. Like past deals Klentak has made this offseason, the Stumpf selection shows the Phillies’ need for bullpen depth. They have it in spades.