Phillies Leave Erik Miller, Carlos De La Cruz Unprotected From Rule 5 Draft

The deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 draft has come and gone, and the Philadelphia Phillies have left two big names unprotected: Erik Miller and Carlos De La Cruz. The Phillies could lose either one in the Rule 5 draft next month. 

Exposing Miller to the draft, in particular, comes as quite a surprise. He was Philadelphia's fourth-round pick in 2019, and he ranked among the team's top prospects heading into the 2022 season. A left-handed reliever, he performed well at Reading last year but struggled to keep up after a midseason promotion to Lehigh Valley. He turns 25 years old in February.

While he would benefit from more seasoning at Triple-A, Miller could provide the Phillies with valuable pitching depth next year. There's a strong chance a rebuilding club in need of bullpen arms takes a flier on him in the Rule 5 draft.

De La Cruz is farther away from MLB action than Miller. As such, he is less likely to be taken in draft. That being said, after his big breakout this past season, perhaps the Phillies should have protected him just in case. The 23-year-old outfielder displayed prodigious power at High-A, Double-A, and in the Arizona Fall League as well.

The Phillies have three open spots on their 40-man roster that they chose not to fill. Johan Rojas was the only prospect protected ahead of the 6:00 p.m. deadline on Tuesday.

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