The Phillies had the 27th overall selection in the 2023 draft. They selected 18 players during the draft having forfeit their second- and fifth-round picks when they signed free agent shortstop Trea Turner who had a qualifying offer attached.
The Phillies’ bonus pool allotment of $5,185,500 was the smallest of all thirty teams.
The 2023 Draft Tracker is up to date with all the information I have so far. I do not have specific dates for those signed and bonus amounts haven’t all been released.
However, the following is accurate.
- The Phillies have acquired the rights of 24 new players.
- 17 of the Phillies’ 18 draft picks have signed, as well as all 6 NDFAs.
- Only #12, Brandon Beckel (RHP, Texas Tech) remains unsigned.
- 21 players are already working out in Clearwater – RHP George Klassen, Jake Eddington, Cam Brown, Marty Gair, Ethan Chenault, Casey Steward, Chase Hopewell, Hunter Loyd, Braydon Tucker, LHP Luke Russo, Catchers Kehden Hettiger, Jared Thomas, Lou Albrecht, Infielders Devin Saltiban, Bryson Ware, Zach Arnold, Pierce Bennett, Trent Farquhar, Outfielders Avery Owusu-Asiedu, A.J. Shaver, Keaton Anthony.
- SS Aidan Miller and OF TayShaun Walton are en route.
- Of the bonuses reported, the Phillies went over slot on 4 players ($400,400) and under slot on 2 players ($105,300). They have a cushion of 5% of their total bonus pool ($259,275) and are slightly over that figure.
- The penalty for exceeding the bonus pool by 5% is a 75% tax on the overage.
- Above that 5% and future draft picks are forfeited.
- A first-round pick and a 75% tax for exceeding 5% up to 10%
- A first- and second-round pick and a 100% tax for over 10% up to 15%
- Two first-round picks and a 100% tax for over 15%.
August 1st is the deadline for signing draft picks. The deadline does not apply to players who have exhausted their college eligibility. I’m pretty sure that Beckel is a 4th-year junior and would have to sign by the deadline.
The Phillies are below the 180-player limit on stateside minor league teams randomly imposed by the commissioner. Drafted players don’t count against the limit until they are on a roster and actually appear in a league game. NDFAs count against the limit 15 days after their official signing date.
The limit is being lowered to 165 next season per the commissioner. The offseason limit is 190 players. No word on whether that will also be lowered by 15 to 175 players. Although it makes sense that MLB would impose the lower limit (MLB sense, not real-world sense), nobody gets paid during the offseason, so why bother.
Phuture Phillies 
That is amazing that they signed all but 1 and will probably sign that one soon.
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Great work, Jim!
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With the minimal bonus pool and with the big league club living in it’s window for contention, I really thought Brian Barber was going to mainly focus on college guys (especially arms). I was completely wrong, but not upset with what they did.
Former Phillies scout/cross-checker Dave Seifert told me he rated Barber’s class as one of the five best this summer. Seifert now scouts and writes for D1 Baseball.com and Prep Baseball Report.com.
The four HS players (Miller/Saltiban/Walton/Hettiger) stand out. But the guy I’m really high on is RD 20 pick Pierce Bennett. The kid is older (22), but is a hitting machine. His lack of power is what kept him from getting drafted earlier this year (or 2022), but his bat-to-ball skills & his domination of the K-zone are impressive.
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good to hear.
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Wait are they going to be over even after accounting for the extra 5%?
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I don’t think so. I just provided the information in an effort to provide as much information as possible.
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As of now, they’re about $20k under the “pool plus 5%” limit. They haven’t signed the 12th round pick (Beckel); we’ll see whether he’ll sign for $170k. Bennett (20th round) is reportedly signed (unofficial, not announced by the Phillies), but we haven’t seen a bonus amount on him yet.
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Guys, when looking at the spreadsheets showing the Phillies draft picks, I see rounds 11-20 have no slot money assigned. With this in mind, do those signing bonuses count against their allotted bonus pool? How does this work?
Thanks,
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Andy – Only if the bonus is over $150k does it count against the pool for picks AFTER round 10.
And only the overage. So if the bonus is $160k on a 15th rounder, only $10k would count against the pool.
Hope that helps.
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That makes perfect sense. Thanks for the clarification, TG
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Saw a new face at the Complex this morning, a RHP, Trey Dillard. He went undrafted in 2020, 2021, and 2022. He was with Missouri in ’20 and ’21, and Texas A&M in ’22. He doesn’t appear to have pitched in 2023, nor much in 2022, or at all in 2021. He wasn’t listed among eligible draftees in the MLB Draft tracker for this season. Don’t know if he should be considered a free agent or NDFA.
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He does have a BR page.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=dillar000tre
..a little older now at 24, three colleges and three years of college experience…..so assume a NDFA.
And a Dodger draftee out of HS back in ’18.
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He was drafted out of San Jacinto College in 2018, but there is no record of his 2018 season in BR. He’s listed in the 2022 MLB Draft Tracker as a 4YR 5S which means he was a 5th-year senior in 2022 and would have no college eligibility in 2023. I would like to know what he’s been doing for the past year.
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And gets it up to 99 mph velo in a controlled setting.
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Everyone who has signed is in Clearwater. 24 players were in Rookie Camp this morning. #20 is waiting on his physical and can’t perform baseball stuff yet. But, he can do calisthenics and run. Can’t use the bands or pick up a baseball. #12 is en route and expected to sign shortly. 6 NDFAs are working out with Miller and the other 15 draft picks plus the new guy reported in the comment above.
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exciting news! thanks so much
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Oh man, the Phillies need Aidan Miller to be at least above average at 3B with the bat AND the glove. I believe the last time the Phillies had 3+ WAR at 3B was Polanco in 2010. I’m desperate for a competent 3B.
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Bohm has looked pretty good at 3b this year. I’d argue better than Sosa even
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If every thing goes as planned, by the time Miller reaches the majors, assuming ETA of 2027 AND he stays at third, Bohm will be 31 and probably if not signed to a LTC by then, since 2027 is his free agent year, he will be gone.
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Bohm’s defense is destroying his value, and even then, his bat is not good enough to be a corner infielder
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Mc Garry looked great last night , according to his stats, 7 innings no walks, 10 strikeouts
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When can we expect any of the new draft picks or NDFA to appear in games?
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The NDFA have to be added to rosters within 15 days of their signing date, at which time they begin to count against the 180 player domestic minor league roster limit. The draftees don’t count until they’re actually added to a roster, so the org might not be in any hurry to add them (at least some of them) to a roster – that could force them to make decisions about who to release, to stay under the 180-player limit.
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