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Notable Phillies selected or lost during the Rule 5 draft

by Lochlahn March
Ronald Cortes
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The Rule 5 draft permits MLB clubs without a full 40-man roster to draft certain unprotected players from other organizations. With the 2024 draft scheduled for Wednesday, here are the most notable players the Phillies have gained — or lost — in previous years.

George Walker IV / AP

Manny Trillo

YONG KIM / Staff Photographer

The Phillies signed Trillo in 1968 as a catcher, then converted him to third. When Oakland drafted him in 1969, he moved to second. Traded back to the Phillies in 1979, Trillo was the second baseman when they won their first World Series.

Willie Hernández

Ray Stubblebine / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hernández signed with the Phillies in 1973 and helped them win the NL pennant in 1983. In between that, he spent six seasons with the Cubs after the 1976 Rule 5 draft. Chicago converted him to a reliever before trading the lefty back.

George Bell

Mark Duncan / ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Phillies signed George Bell in 1978, but the Blue Jays swooped in during the 1980 Rule 5 draft. The left fielder became the 1987 American League MVP, a three-time All-Star, and a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

Dave Hollins

George Reynolds / File Photo

The Phillies snagged Hollins from the Padres in 1989, and the infielder made his major league debut the following season. His seven seasons with the Phillies were highlighted by the National League pennant win in 1993.

Ricky Williams

Hans Deryk / ASSOCIATED PRESS

The future Miami Dolphins Pro Bowler was drafted by the Phillies out of high school, and played in the minor leagues while starring on the gridiron for Texas. The Expos took him in the 1998 Rule 5 draft — the same year he won the Heisman.

Shane Victorino

Steven M. Falk / Staff Photographer

The Flyin’ Hawaiian was the Phillies’ biggest Rule 5 success. Taken from the Dodgers in 2004, Victorino failed to remain in the big leagues and was offered back to L.A. They declined, and he became a Philadelphia postseason hero in 2008.

Ender Inciarte

Alex Gallardo / AP

The Phillies took Inciarte from Arizona in 2012, but soon returned the outfielder after designating him for assignment, per draft rules. The D-backs traded Inciarte to Atlanta, where he was a 2017 All-Star and won three Gold Gloves.

Odúbel Herrera

YONG KIM / Staff Photographer

The Phillies drafted Herrera from the Rangers in 2014, and the center fielder was their lone All-Star in 2016. Across seven seasons, Herrera slashed .271/.326/.419. He served an 85-game suspension after a domestic violence arrest in 2019.