Nationals add right-hander Griff McGarry from Phillies in Rule 5 draft

The Nationals added right-handed pitcher Griff McGarry from the Philadelphia Phillies with the third of 13 total selections in Wednesday’s Rule 5 draft.

The draft allows franchises with open spots on their 40-man roster to add unprotected players from other clubs.

The Phillies originally selected McGarry, 26, in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB draft. The University of Virginia product has steadily risen through Philadelphia’s farm system. He was named the Phillies’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season after striking out 121 batters, holding them to a .180 batting average with a 3.44 ERA across 21 starts in Triple-A, Double-A and Single-A.

McGarry’s 13.34 strikeouts per nine innings ranked fourth among all minor leaguers. Once a Top 10 prospect for the Phillies, the California native has struggled with command. He now ranks as the 30th-best player in the Nationals’ farm system, according to MLB Pipeline.

Players who sign when they are under age 19 are exposed to the draft if they are not on a 40-man roster after their fifth season. Players 19 or older at the time of their first professional contract are exposed after their fourth season.

Teams pay $100,000 to take a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the big league roster all of next season or clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000.

Only teams without full 40-man rosters can make selections. The Colorado Rockies selected right-hander RJ Petit from the Detroit Tigers with the first pick on Wednesday. 

The Rule 5 draft offers a low-risk chance for rebuilding squads like the Nationals to experiment with new players. In 2023, Washington added Nasim Nunez from the Miami Marlins. The middle infielder has since played 90 games for the Nationals, with four home runs, 14 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.

Eight of 15 major league picks last December stayed with their new organizations

This year, the Nationals went on to select six of the 55 players taken in the Triple-A portion of the Rule 5 draft: outfielder Jack Rogers and right-handed pitchers Sandy Gaston, Dylan Tebrake, Eiker Huizi, Cesar Rojas and Brady Hill. Players selected in the Triple-A portion are not subject to any roster restrictions and remain with their new organizations.

This article is based in part on wire service reports.