Phillies waive Ty Kelly, clear 40-man roster spot
Cuts have begun on the Phillies 40-man roster
Phillies utility infielder Ty Kelly has cleared waivers and opted to test free agency, according to Philly.com’s Matt Gelb. Kelly’s spot on the 40-man roster is one of many needing to be cleared in order to protect multiple prospects from the Rule 5 Draft this winter.
Kelly was purchased by the Phillies from the Toronto Blue Jays organization on April 22 after left fielder Howie Kendrick landed on the disabled list. Appearing in 69 games with the Phillies Kelly hit .193 with two home runs, but was particularly clutch and provided late inning heroics. Eight of his 13 RBI’s came in the sixth inning or later, and he hit .400 in extra-inning games this season.
Taking Kelly off the 40-man roster leaves the Phils needing to cut a minimum of six players to create roster space. Andres Blanco, Daniel Nava, Clay Buchholz, and Hyun Soo Kim are slated for free agency, cutting the number of moves down to two in order to make the 40-man roster maximum.
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Henderson Alvarez, Zac Curtis, Kevin Siegrist, and Pedro Florimon are all clear waiver candidates on the current roster.
Outfielders Andrew Pullin, Jiandido Tromp, and Carlos Tocci are all eligible for the Rule 5 Draft if not protected. Of the three Pullin is the least likely to be protected with Tromp and Tocci being held in high regard.
Gelb notes pitchers Franklyn Kilome, Seranthony Dominguez and Ranger Suarez are “locks” to be placed on the 40-man roster.
Additional trades made by general manager Matt Klentak will open up spots along the way. Look for Cesar Hernandez, Freddy Galvis, Cameron Rupp, Tommy Joseph, and Maikel Franco to be on the trade block, thus opening spots for incoming free agents or young prospects.
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The Rule 5 Draft will be held during the baseball winter meetings Dec. 10-14, at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Florida.