NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- The Phillies have a full complement of players on their 40-man roster, so they are not expected to select anybody in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft.
It would be the first time that has happened since 2011.
But the Phillies could lose a couple of players in the annual event, which begins at 9 a.m. ET. The top two candidates are outfielder Andrew Pullin and left-hander Hoby Milner. Others like right-hander Seranthony Dominguez could be taken, although he has not played above Class A Lakewood, so it is unlikely he would stick on a big league roster for the entire 2017 season.
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Pullin, 23, hit a combined .322 with 21 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs, 51 RBIs and an .885 OPS in 359 plate appearances with Class A Advanced Clearwater and Double-A Reading in 2016. Pullin retired from baseball early last season, but he decided to return to the game in May. Milner, 25, posted a 2.49 ERA in 49 appearances with Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Other notable Phillies prospects eligible for the Rule 5 Draft are right-hander Miguel Nunez, shortstop Malquin Canelo and outfielders Carlos Tocci and Jose Pujols.
Boras talks Hellickson
Agent Scott Boras met with reporters on Wednesday, and he briefly discussed right-hander Jeremy Hellickson's decision to accept the Phillies' one-year, $17.2 million qualifying offer.
Hellickson's value dipped because any team that had signed him would have forfeited its top unprotected Draft pick.
"It might be fair to say that there's a benefit and a detriment in Jeremy's case," Boras said. "He was able to secure a one-year contract, but without the qualifying offer, I obviously think he would have done a lot better and certainly gotten a four- or five-year contract. So the qualifying offer, it's pretty clear you don't want to give away No. 1 picks, particularly if you're a developmental team. So the market for the player is reduced from 30 teams really to almost three or four."
Ellis signs with Marlins
Catcher A.J. Ellis signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Marlins. The Phillies had expressed some interest in bringing back Ellis, but they always preferred to get a look at Andrew Knapp, who spent 2016 at Triple-A. Knapp is expected to open the season as Cameron Rupp's backup with top catching prospect Jorge Alfaro expected to open with Lehigh Valley.