The Rule 5 draft is being held today and the Phillies had the 13th overall pick. With what seems like a million different positions to fill and apparently little-to-no room financially, the Phillies needed to grab a player that they believe could be a contributor right away.

With that, the Phillies selected Kyle Holder from the Yankees. The pick makes sense given the fact that Didi Gregorius will likely not be returning this year and Mr. Trade Rumor Jean Segura is the only shortstop currently on the roster.

Holder was on the list of players to watch in today’s Rule 5 Draft courtesy of MLB.com:

Kyle Holder, INF, Yankees
When Holder was taken in the first round of the 2015 Draft, he brought with him a reputation as being a plus defender with a bat that lagged behind. That hasn’t changed all that much, but he has shown the ability to play three infield spots well and did hit a more respectable .265/.336/.405 in Double-A in 2019. He could be a glove-first utility guy in the big leagues.

MLB.com

Ideally, the Phillies will be able to use Holder as an infield utility guy who can backup all three spots on the diamond and give the team some help off the bench. It’s a pretty “bleh” pickup that doesn’t really help this Phillies team finalize any important roster decisions but will definitely be a good “depth” piece heading into 2021.

Mandatory Credit: USA Today