Could the A's target this Philadelphia Phillies prospect in the Rule 5 Draft?

Matthew Kalinowski | Nov 22, 2024

Mar 4, 2024; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Griff McGarry (71) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth inning at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The A's have been very active in the Rule 5 Draft in recent years, selecting first-baseman Ryan Noda in 2022 and right-hander Mitch Spence in 2023. On December 11th, the A's will most likely take another swing on a prospect in hopes that they can contribute to their goal of reaching a .500 record in 2025.

It was recently reported by Ken Rosenthal that the A's have hit a crossroads in regards to the trade market. They, as well as most of the league, are trying to add on and build their roster closer to contention. A's ownership has promised in the past that once they find their new home, they will add to the payroll. With the MLB commissioner confirming that the A's are "100 percent full steam ahead" toward Las Vegas, it is time to own up to that promise.

It seems that the A's are attempting to deliver on that promise they made to their fans, with it being reported Thursday afternoon that they were "talking" to recent World Series pitcher Walker Buehler, but he did not want to play in Sacramento.

At USC’s SBA Summit, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said the A’s were talking to Walker Buehler but he didn’t want to play in Sacramento. #Athletics

— Kasey Kazliner (@kaseyjkaz) November 21, 2024

With the A's struggling to add on via the trade market and free agency, the Rule 5 Draft may be their best bet. Adding a once top-three prospect from the Phillies farm system could be one way to bolster their roster.

Griff McGarry was ranked as the Phillies No. 3 prospect to end the 2023 season. However, he ended up as the Phillies No. 21 ranked prospect after this past season. The reason for that drop is that McGarry spent roughly three months on the injured list in 2024 and only pitched in a little over 31 innings, posting a 4.70 at the AAA level. In fact, McGarry's professional career high in innings pitched is 87.1 back in 2022.

Despite the injuries, McGarry still has electric stuff when he is on the mound, displaying fastball velocity that sits at 95 mph and ramps up to 99. In the 2024 Arizona Fall League (AFL) that just ended almost a week ago, McGarry pitched 12 innings and struck out 15, all while posting a 3.75 ERA. Signaling that he could be knocking some of the rust off and getting back on track to how he was pitching before when he was a top prospect in the Phillies system.

Even with his success in the AFL, the Phillies decided not to protect the 25-year-old right-hander from the Rule 5 Draft. One reason is that McGarry has carried high walk rates his entire professional career, which could be a concern, but maybe not for the A's.

See, the A's could, or maybe would, have McGarry pitch out of the bullpen in a long-relief role similar to how Mitch Spence started this past season. This would give the A's time to develop McGarry at the MLB level and work through his high walk rate issues and, in turn, would presumably keep him healthy as he would be pitching in shorter stints.

McGarry was born in San Francisco and went to high school 115 miles south of Sacramento in Atherton, California, before attending Virginia to pitch at the college level. The A's do love a player with Bay Area roots, making it that much more likely that McGarry could be selected by the A's on December 11th.