By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
With the deadline to protect prospects from the Rule 5 draft next Tuesday, Nov. 20, the Philadelphia Phillies and General Manager Matt Klentak continue to look for ways to create 40-man roster space.
On Wednesday, the club placed first baseman Justin Bour on waivers, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury.
Salisbury writes:
In need of power off the bench, the Phillies acquired Bour from Miami for minor-league pitcher McKenzie Mills in August. With the Phils, he had 54 plate appearances and hit .224 with a homer and five RBIs. He was hampered during part of his stay with the club by a hamstring injury that landed him on the disabled list.
Bour has averaged 21 homers and 66 RBIs the last four seasons and could be attractive to clubs looking for a left-handed platoon bat at first base. The Phillies are not in need of that type of player as they are committed to using Rhys Hoskins and Carlos Santana at first base. If Santana were to be traded, Hoskins would play at first base full-time.
Mills went 0-3 with an 8.10 ERA and 1.560 WHIP ratio in four starts with the Marlins' Double-A affiliate to conclude the 2018 season.
Earlier this month, infielder/outfielder Pedro Florimon similarly was placed on and cleared waivers, and was sent outright to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Florimon instead elected free agency. The arbitration-eligible Bour is expected to do the same, if he is not claimed by another club.
The Phillies' 40-man roster now stands at 34 players: 20 pitchers, two catchers, six infielders, and six outfielders. Hoskins is considered as solely an outfielder on the Phillies.com 40-man roster list.
Prospects the Phillies could be looking to protect include: right-hander Tom Eshelman, infielders Arquimedes Gamboa, Daniel Brito and Jose Gomez, and outfielder Jose Pujols. Brito was awarded a minor-league Gold Glove Award early last month.
The Morning Call's Tom Housenick details how and when players become eligible to be plucked in the Rule 5 draft, the same which garnered the Phillies outfielders Shane Victorino and Odubel Herrera.
This year's Rule 5 draft will occur on Thursday, Dec. 13, the last day of the 2018 Winter Meetings in Las Vegas.
