Phillies Rule 5 Draft Protection Decisions

The Philadelphia Phillies have 40-man roster decisions to make ahead of the Rule 5 Draft protection deadline. Last season, the Phillies made decisions ahead of this deadline that enabled a major trade. Mick Abel was protected by the Phillies while being viewed as a trade candidate after a rough 2024 season. Abel went on to be one of the two prospects the Phillies sent to the Minnesota Twins in the Jhoan Duran trade. Eduardo Tait was the other prospect the Phillies traded for Duran. Additionally, this year, Nov. 18 is the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. It is also possible that some Rule 5 Draft-eligible players are traded since a team may not have room for them on their 40-man roster.

Phillies Rule 5 Draft Decisions

Andrew Painter/Gabriel Rincones Jr./Alex McFarlane

According to a report from Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies will likely protect Painter, Rincones, and McFarlane. Painter being in line to be protected is no surprise. Despite his struggles in 2025 returning from Tommy John Surgery, Painter will be in line to get a rotation spot if Ranger Suárez leaves in free agency. However, Gelb’s mention of McFarlane as a protection candidate is interesting. McFarlane is entering his age-25 season and has four appearances above High-A. In 2025, McFarlane posted a 4.84 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP, with a 1.91 K/BB rate, across 28 outings. McFarlane missed the 2024 season due to injury. The Phillies are better off trying to trade McFarlane than protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft.

Rincones had an excellent spring training for the Phillies this year. In 15 games, Rincones had a .217/.379/.609 line with three home runs and seven RBI. To add, Rincones recorded a 147 wRC+ and a .417 wOBA during spring training. During the minor league season in Triple-A, Rincones had a .240/.370/.430 line with 18 home runs and 73 RBI in 119 games. Rincones also recorded 21 stolen bases this season. Furthermore, Rincones had a 113 wRC+ and a .361 wOBA this past season. Rincones is entering his age-25 season. The Phillies adding Rincones to the 40-man roster would make some sense with uncertainty in the outfield heading into 2026. Rincones has a chance to see major league playing time next season.

Griff McGarry/Christian McGowan

McGarry is a candidate for protection but is more likely to be traded. Once a top prospect in the Phillies organization, McGarry had a rebound 2025 after being left unprotected in 2024. McGarry is entering his age-27 season and probably has no long-term role on the major league roster. This season, McGarry had a 3.44 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP with a 2.53 K/BB rate in 21 outings across three minor league levels. In 2025, McGarry returned to the starting rotation after serving as a reliever in 2024. While leaving McGarry unprotected and trying to keep him in the organization are options, they do not make much sense given his age. The Phillies should try to find a trade partner who is more likely to give McGarry a big league role.

McGowan is another candidate who might be protected. However the Phillies will probably leave him unprotected or trade him. A trade here makes less sense because McGowan is younger than McGarry and has slightly more long-term potential. McGowan is entering his age-25 season and missed the entire 2025 season due to injury. In 2024, McGowan had a 5.36 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP along with a 2.04 K/BB rate in 14 outings across three minor league levels. McGowan did make a Triple-A appearance in 2023 and has 11 career Double-A appearances. Given that McGowan did not pitch during the 2025 season, it will be harder to find a team willing to trade for him.