4 intriguing Rule 5 Draft picks for Phillies to bring home from Winter Meetings

With the MLB Winter Meetings happening right now in Orlando, Florida, the Philadelphia Phillies will be taking part in the annual Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday afternoon. While the big news from the Winter Meetings is usually free agent signings and trades, picking up minor league players for cheap can be a sneaky way to find talent for the major league roster.

The Rule 5 Draft allows teams to select certain minor league players who aren't on a 40-man roster. The catch is that that player must spend the entire season on their new team's active roster or be offered back to their original club.

This year's draft will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m. ET. Teams aren't required to make a pick each round, and sometimes the Phillies choose not to make any selections. Last year's pick was immediately traded, and they didn't take anyone in 2023.

You never know what can come out of the Rule 5 process. Remember in 2004 when the Phillies picked a youngster named Shane Victorino from the Los Angeles Dodgers? Despite the Phillies trying to return him, the Dodgers declined and a gigantic piece of the 2008 World Series team fell into place.

With an intriguing crop of players this year, the Phillies might be able to uncover some gems. We've included only pitchers here, since that's the easiest type of player for teams like the Phillies to take a chance on.

Gambling on young arms with upside might be a better alternative than following last year's offseason plan of just signing veteran relievers. Both Jordan Romano and Joe Ross were disasters out of the bullpen in 2025. It's time for a fresh approach.

4 intriguing Rule 5 Draft picks for Phillies to bring home from Winter Meetings

Jared Southard, RHP, Angels

Jared Southard posted a 4.23 ERA with 70 strikeouts in 66 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this season. He combined his 25.8 percent strikeout rate with a 56.4 percent groundball rate, a skill set that would play well at Citizens Bank Park.

Despite being a 12th-rounder in 2022 and not being notable as a top prospect Southard still has a high chance of being selected (subscription required), per Baseball America. The 25-year-old's combination of out-generating skills and plus-stuff makes him an intriguing potential pick for the Phillies.

Peyton Pallette, RHP, White Sox

With Baseball America calling Peyton Pallette "an easy plug-and-play option for a team looking for upside arms in the bullpen" (subscription required), the 24-year-old right-hander might be a perfect fit for the Phillies who need to find usable bullpen pieces for cheap. Tommy John surgery in 2022 ended his chances of being a top 10 draft pick, and he went in the second round instead.

Ranked as Chicago's No. 14 MLB Pipeline prospect (No. 9 last year), Pallette pitched to a 4.06 ERA with 86 strikeouts and a 32.5 percent strikeout rate in 64 1/3 innings split between Double- and Triple-A in 2025. According to Thomas Nestico of TJStats, his above-average velo fastball lives in the top of the zone generating chases with its tailing movement. His curveball has above-average velo for its shape while his complimentary slider and changeup might actually be his best pitches.

Blake Burkhalter, RHP, Braves

It was surprising to see right-hander Blake Burkhalter left unprotected by the Atlanta Braves, according to Nestico. He made 14 Double-A starts, with a 3.13 ERA and an even better 2.98 FIP. He pitched mostly in relief in Triple-A, posting a 3.77 ERA in 31 innings. Burkhalter doesn't rack up the strikeouts, with 88 in 103 innings, but creates weak contact.

Nestico notes that the 76th overall pick in 2022 will likely pitch in a bullpen role if anyone takes him in the Rule 5. Ranked as the Braves' No. 11 prospect this year, Burkhalter has the command and arsenal to slide into the fifth spot of the Phillies rotation in a pinch.

Hayden Mullins, LHP, Red Sox

If the Phillies are planning to trade one of their left-handed relievers, taking a chance on Hayden Mullins might be worthwhile. The 25-year-old southpaw ranks as Boston's No. 17 prospect and despite not pitching above Double-A he might have the swing-and-miss stuff to jump to a big league bullpen.

Working primarily as a starter in his first full season back from Tommy John, Mullins racked up 123 strikeouts with a 2.21 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 101 2/3 innings. Per Baseball America, he "meets several benchmarks of pitchers taken in the Rule 5 draft" and he combines above-average stuff with unique characteristics like a 6-foot-7 extension (subscription required). Command might be the only questionable thing, as he ran a 5.10 BB/9.