Marlins Regain 26-Year-Old Pitcher From Phillies

Zach McCambley returns to Miami's organization after failed Rule 5 Draft bid with Philadelphia.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 1:39pm

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The Miami Marlins have regained right-handed pitcher Zach McCambley, who was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason. McCambley, a 26-year-old prospect, did not make the Phillies' Opening Day roster and was returned to the Marlins' organization, where he will likely start the season at Triple-A.

Why it matters

The Rule 5 Draft allows teams to take players not protected on 40-man rosters, but those players must remain on the drafting team's active roster for the entire season or be offered back to their original organization. McCambley's return to the Marlins' system represents a missed opportunity for the Phillies, who were unable to retain the young pitcher, but it gives the Marlins another prospect to potentially develop at the major league level.

The details

McCambley, a 6-foot-2 right-hander, had a 1.23 ERA in 7.1 innings pitched for the Phillies this spring, but also walked six batters while striking out only four. In the minors last season, he had a 3.32 ERA in 36 appearances at Triple-A Jacksonville and a 2.11 ERA in 11 outings at Double-A Pensacola, with a career minor league strikeout rate of 10.8 per nine innings.

  • McCambley was left off the Marlins' 40-man roster this offseason, allowing the Phillies to select him in the Rule 5 Draft.
  • The Phillies were unable to keep McCambley on their active roster this spring, leading to his return to the Marlins' organization.

The players

Zach McCambley

A 26-year-old right-handed pitcher who was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason, but was returned to the Miami Marlins' organization after failing to make the Phillies' Opening Day roster.

Miami Marlins

The MLB team that regained Zach McCambley after he was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Rule 5 Draft.

Philadelphia Phillies

The MLB team that selected Zach McCambley in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason, but was unable to keep him on their active roster and had to return him to the Marlins.

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What’s next

McCambley will likely start the 2026 season with the Marlins' Triple-A affiliate in Jacksonville.

The takeaway

The Rule 5 Draft allows teams to take a chance on unprotected prospects, but the requirement to keep those players on the active roster for the full season can be a challenge. In this case, the Marlins were able to regain a pitching prospect they had previously developed, giving them another potential option to contribute at the major league level in the future.