Phillies absolutely need to protect one lesser-known prospect from Rule 5 Draft

With the Rule 5 Draft coming up in December, the Philadelphia Phillies have some decisions to make about who to protect before Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET deadline. Some decisions on who to protect will be no-brainers, while there are some other Rule 5-eligible players who aren't quite as obvious.

One pitching prospect the Phillies need to add to the 40-man roster to keep him out of the Rule 5 Draft is right-hander Alex McFarlane.

Ranked as the Phillies' No. 20 MLB Pipeline prospect, McFarlane missed all of 2024 after Tommy John surgery in September 2023. But the 24-year-old will be enticing to teams looking for potential bullpen stuff for next season after throwing 80 innings this year.

Alex McFarlane is Phillies' toughest Rule 5 Draft roster decision

According to Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com, McFarlane is the Phillies' toughest Rule 5 decision this year. Teams will be interested in his premium triple-digit fastball and his slider with the ability to miss bats. His plus-plus fastball grades 70 on the 20-80 scale, while his slider (55) and changeup (50) also grade as plus pitches.

Per his MLB Pipeline scouting report, the 2022 fourth-round pick added 10-15 pounds of muscle during his rehab and the Phillies believed that he might fly under the radar after the long layoff.

In 28 games (18 starts) this season, mostly in High-A Jersey Shore, McFarlane posted a 4.84 ERA with a 9.23 K/9 but a 4.84 BB/9. With his obvious fastball stuff and questionable command, he's likely destined for the bullpen, whether he remains a Phillie or goes elsewhere.

After making 18 starts in High-A, McFarlane moved to the bullpen and posted a 3.24 ERA with five strikeouts but four walks over 8 1/3 innings. He moved up to Double-AA Reading to finish the year and struck out eight while walking three over 5 2/3 innings.

If McFarlane is added to the 40-man roster and protected from the Rule 5 Draft, there's a chance we might see him up in the big leagues sooner rather than later. Pitching depth always comes into play during a long season and the Phillies are willing to give a shot to arms that can touch triple digits (remember how long they kept Carlos Hernández around this season?).

Teams pay $100,000 for players selected in the Rule 5 Draft but they must make and remain on the 26-man roster for the full season. If not, they're offered back to their former team for $50,000. So even if McFarlane is left unprotected and taken, it doesn't mean it's the last we've seen of him in the Phillies system. Last year, the Minnesota Twins took pitcher Eiberson Castellano but returned him after a rough spring training.

Hopefully on Tuesday evening we see McFarlane join fellow pitching prospect Andrew Painter and slugging outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. as the 40-man roster additions. Right-hander Griff McGarry could also be another player on the Rule 5 protection bubble to keep an eye on.