Dodgers trade for fading Phillies pitching prospect after Rule 5 shuffle

The Dodgers have already engaged in a little bit of random waiver claiming and quick DFA'ing this season, in search of their next reclamation project. Most recently, they grabbed reliever Grant Holman off of waivers from the Diamondbacks at the beginning of the month, only to DFA him and then lose him to the Tigers less than two weeks later.

On Tuesday, they found their latest project (who doesn't seem any more likely to stick than Holman) and made a trade with the Phillies for righty Griff McGarry while sending international bonus pool money back to Philadelphia (along with "future considerations," so either cash or a player to be named later).

McGarry has a little bit more of a pedigree than Holman did, at least. A fifth-round pick for the Phillies in 2021, he debuted in their pipeline as their No. 9 prospect in 2022 and rose as high as No. 3 in 2023. He managed to hang onto a top-30 spot (at No. 30) through 2025, but was swiped by the Nationals in this past offseason's Rule 5 draft.

The Nats couldn't find a place for him on their roster coming out of spring training, so he was DFA'ed and returned to the Phillies in March. The Phillies seemed content to hang onto him until the Dodgers wanted to take him off their hands.

Dodgers make trade with Phillies for former top prospect Griff McGarry

That's what makes McGarry a more intriguing project than most of the Dodgers' random pickups. It's one thing for the Dodgers to grab an opportunity when it's right in front of them on the waiver wire; it's another to identify a guy's potential and make a deal for him.

It makes sense why he slipped further and further down the Phillies' rankings after 2023. He was initially a fast riser, getting all the way to Triple-A in just his second professional season, but he posted a 9.00 ERA in eight innings there that season and couldn't find his footing between injuries, rehab stints, and trips to the development list.

Still, we all know that the Dodgers have a knack for rediscovering potential and excavating it, and they've done more with less.

McGarry wasn't on Philadelphia's 40-man roster, so he won't need to be added to LA's and can head straight to Triple-A instead. He's in the player development system's hands now, and they have a pretty good track record of turning coal in diamonds.

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