CLEARWATER, Fla. - Soon after Tyler Goeddel was picked first in December's Rule 5 draft, he took a vacation to Mexico with his brother, Mets righthander Erik Goeddel. While in Cabo, the brothers happened to see Chase Utley, who invited them to a round of golf.
Utley, after 18 holes, fired a text to Cody Asche and Cameron Rupp.
"He just told them to take care of me," Tyler Goeddel said. "It was a nice thing for Chase to do, for sure. I appreciated it."
The Rule 5 draft is a tool designed to prevent teams from hoarding players in the minors who would otherwise have a shot if on a different team, and that is how Goeddel became Phillies property.