The Phillies used the Rule 5 draft to add a potential replacement for Didi Gregorius. With the 13th pick in the draft Thursday, the Phillies selected shortstop Kyle Holder from the Yankees organization.

The Phillies declined to give Gregorius a one-year qualifying offer, making it very possible that the shortstop could leave in free agency. With that being the case, the team could be looking for a stop-gap at the position until former first-round pick Bryson Stott is ready for the big leagues. Stott, 23, was selected with the No. 14 pick in the 2019 draft and might need another year before he is ready.

“Kyle is a natural shortstop and a plus defender at the position, and he has shown good progress offensively,” said Mike Ondo, Director, Professional Scouting.  “We’re excited to welcome him to our organization.”

Holder, 26, did not play in 2020 due to the pandemic, but slashed 265/.336/.405 in 112 games for double-A Trenton in 2019, setting career highs with 25 doubles, nine home runs, and 37 extra-base hits as he was named an MiLB Organization All-Star.

Players selected in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft must stay on the active roster for the entire season, and they must be active (not on the injured list) for a minimum of 90 days.

The former first-round pick was named by Baseball America as the “Best Defensive Shortstop” in the South Atlantic League for 2017.

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