Phillies protect 6 prospects from Rule 5 draft

The Philadelphia Phillies selected the contracts of six minor-league prospects Friday, adding players to the team’s 40-man roster ahead of next month’s Rule 5 draft.

Right-handed pitcher Francisco Morales, outfielder Simon Muzziotti, shortstop Nick Maton and left-handed pitchers Kyle Dohy, Damon Jones and Bailey Falter are now protected from being selected by another team in the Rule 5 draft.

Morales, the Phillies’ fourth-best prospect according to Phillies Nation‘s most recent ranking, is the most notable player added to the 40-man roster. The 21-year-old is a power pitcher with a sharp slider. Morales had a 3.82 ERA in Single-A Lakewood in 2019, and impressed this fall at the team’s instructional league.

Muzziotti, 21, is a speedy center fielder who spent the 2019 season in the Florida State League with the Clearwater Threshers. He hit .287 and stole 21 bags that year.

The 23-year-old Maton split 2019 between Clearwater and Double-A Reading, and posted an OPS of .725 across the two levels. He’s primarily played shortstop, but could end up handling multiple infield positions as he advances.

Dohy, 24, and Jones, 26, are both hard-throwing lefties who reached Triple-A in 2019, but both struggled upon joining the IronPigs at least in part due to not being able to quickly adjust to the major-league baseball used at that level. Dohy is a reliever and Jones has primarily started throughout his career. Now two seasons removed from their first experience in Triple-A, both pitchers should see more success and make the push to the majors in 2021.

Falter posted a 3.84 ERA in 14 Double-A starts in 2019. The 23-year-old has not been a hard-thrower in the past but could be an intriguing starter if he added velocity since he last pitched.

Left-handers Zach Warren and David Parkinson, right-hander Kevin Gowdy, infielders Austin Listi and Darick Hall and outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz are among players eligible for the Rule 5 draft who were not added to the roster.

The Rule 5 draft will take place on Dec. 10. Players selected in the major-league portion must remain on the team’s active roster or offered back to their original team.

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