You know they will take someone. I’m not sure I’ll have time to do a detailed writeup today as the events unfold, but I will definitely update this space to reflect the player(s) we take and those we lose. So, check back later and use this spot to discuss the Rule 5 draft.

Update –> The Phillies did not make a selection in the major league phase, and Jiwan James was not selected. Both items are a surprise.

Glad Jiwan is sticking around, and hopefully his bat takes a big step forward in 2012.

The Cubs selected RHP Lendy Castillo, who it feels has been in the Phillies org forever. He’s never really been on the radar in terms of guys who could make an impact, and the Cubs will likely try to stash him as the long man in their pen.

Update 2 –> The Phillies didn’t make a selection in the minor league phase, but did lose Travis Mattair, Andy Loomis, and Francisco Diaz. Best of luck to them in their new orgs.

We’ve already been over who the Phillies have protected and left unprotected here. Jiwan James is the big name the Phillies are hoping to sneak through. The Phillies have been very active in recent years, always selecting at least one guy, and in the last two seasons, they’ve kept their guy (Mini Mart, Herndon) the full season and retained them moving forward, so you can assume they will take someone again this year. If they do, here are my suggestions for guys they should look at.

Bryce Stowell, RHP (CLE) – Stowell has a big arm, as he used to consistently sit in the high 90s, but has had some injury trouble recently and is now down in the 92-95 range consistently. Still, if he’s past his injury issues, he has a special arm and could fit in well in the middle of the bullpen. Like we saw with Herndon, stashing a reliever as your 25 man is pretty easy. The Phillies will have competition in the bullpen, and Stowell could fit in there. Over the last 2 seasons between A+/AA/AAA he’s put up this line: 106 IP – 63 H – 57 BB – 159 K. Still a little raw, but plenty of upside. Video here

Ryan Flaherty, INF (CHC) – Flaherty is the victim of a numbers game, as the Cubs have a bunch of high ceiling/bonus baby infielders they need to protect and he doesn’t really have a set position. In 2011 he played 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, RF and LF. That’s versatility. He hit .305/.384/.523 at AA before struggling a bit in AAA. He has lefthanded power and can play all over the field, so if the Phillies were looking for another bench bat, he’d be a good guy to look at. I suspect that he’ll get taken before the Phillies pick. Grainy video here.

Nick Barnese, RHP (TAM) – Barnese was a high ranked prospect as recently as 2 years ago, but like most Rays pitchers, he’s moved very slowly through the system and now must be protected. He doesn’t turn 23 until January, and has moved one level at a time since being drafted. He spent 2011 in AA and saw his walk rate jump a bit while his K rate dipped slightly. His groundball rate has dropped each year since turning pro, but was still a respectable 47% in 2011. He may have just gotten a bit stale in Tampa, or his stuff might have dropped overall. There’s only one way to find out…

Philippe Valiquette, LHP (CIN) – He can’t seem to stay healthy, but when he’s on the mound he throws 97-99 from the left side. Sometimes he knows where its going, other times he doesn’t. But that kind of arm strength is worth a $50,000 flier, and if he’s injured/sucks, you get half of that back when you offer him back to Cincinnati. If he can stay healthy and harness his stuff, he has impact reliever possibility…kind of like Antonio Bastardo at this time last year. Plus, collecting guys named Philippe (and all their alternate spellings) should be an organizational priority.

Pat Venditte, P (NYY) – He’s a switch pitcher. Enough said. Video.

Dae-Eun Rhee, RHP (CHC) – Had Tommy John Surgery, but bounced back nicely in 2011 and posted this line in A+: 127.2 IP (career high) – 131 H – 43 BB – 117 K. Both his BB and K rates were improved from 2010 when he was recovering from surgery and he allowed only 10 HR last year with a 49% groundball rate. Would certainly be an interesting guy to look at as a reliever, though he’s been a career starter. He has four pitches, and his fastball sits in the 91-94 range as a starter, which could tick up in relief, and his change and curve are both solid average pitches.

Of course the Phillies don’t ask me for advice, and at this time last year I wasn’t writing up a piece on how they should take Micahel Martinez. So, we’ll see what happens.

Today is the last day for teams to add minor leaguers to the 40 man roster and protect them from the Rule 5 draft held at next month’s winter meetings. The Phillies will have a few interesting decisions of course, and I’ll update this space when everything is decided. As of right now, the 40 man roster looks like this:

Catchers (3): Ruiz, Kratz, Schneider
Infielders (10): Thome, Howard, Utley, H Garcia, C Hernandez, Polanco, Valdez, Galvis, Rivero, M Martinez
Outfielders (6): Bowker, Brown, Francisco, Mayberry, Victorino, Pence

Pitchers (16): Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Worley, Blanton, Kendrick, Papelbon, Bastardo, Stutes, Schwimer, Herndon, Contreras, De Fratus, Savery, JC Ramirez, Mathieson

That means they are at 35. Obviously a few more MLB players will be added (OF, 3B possibly, SS for sure) but they still have plenty of room, and if need be, they can remove someone else from the roster. I’m looking at you, John Bowker.

So, the update will go here after its all settled. You can reference this post from last month where we talked about guys who could be protected. I think its a lock the Phillies will protect Valle, Aumont, Gillies, and Jiwan James. That would take the roster to 39, which gives them room to add one guy in the Rule 5 draft, assuming no other big league signings happen before then. But again, there are guys currently on the 40 man who are candidates to be outrighted off the roster. We’ll see what happens.

Update, 1:15 PM —> The Phillies protected Aumont, Valle, Gillies, and Jacob Diekman, bringing the roster to 39 right now. That leaves them one 40 man spot for the Rule 5 draft, barring any other moves.