Noah Song is no longer part of the Red Sox organization, but it’s safe to say he’ll still be on Boston’s radar (no pun intended) during the 2023 season.
The Phillies took the 25-year-old pitcher with their first pick in the Rule 5 draft back in December. In doing so, Philadelphia plucked the right-handed pitcher from the Red Sox, doing so with no shortage of uncertainty.
Song was considered one of the top prospects in the Red Sox system but has just 17 innings of professional pitching experience under his belt, despite being drafted out of the Naval Academy in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. His development hit a foreseen speed bump, however, when he had to step away from baseball to fulfill his commitment to the Navy.
That brings us to Wednesday. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber reported that Song’s commitment has ended, and he will report to the Phillies later this week. On the surface, that might seem like a good thing for Philadelphia, and ultimately, it could be.
However, the odds are long. Rule 5 picks have to spend the entire season on their new team’s 26-man roster. If a team wants to remove the player from the roster, they must either trade him or put him on waivers. If he clears waivers, he’s offered back to his original team, in this case, the Red Sox.
It’s technically possible Song returns, hits the ground running and looks like a polished big league pitcher capable of playing for a legitimate World Series contender.
That would require an unprecedented performance, though. Song hasn’t appeared in a baseball game since 2019, and that was at Low-A Lowell. It’s been so long that the Spinners don’t even exist anymore. And again, Song has literally 17 innings of professional experience. To expect him to report to camp and be an effective major league pitcher is wildly far-fetched.
The Phillies seemingly knew this when they took Song in the Rule 5 draft.
“We figured we’d take a chance and just see what ends up happening,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who drafted Song in Boston, told reporters in December. “This is a long shot by all means, but it’s worth taking a shot, we thought. I don’t know if anybody knows exactly when he’ll be released from his service. But for the cost of the Draft, we thought it was worth taking him.”
Here’s one other thing to consider: The Athletic’s Matt Gelb on Wednesday reported the Phillies must add Song to the 40-man roster by Opening Day, but they can keep him on the military list in the meantime. According to Gelb, the Phillies believe a player can stay on the military list as they work their way back into shape upon returning.
Even if the Phillies were tempted to feign some sort of injury with Song, Rule 5 selections must spend at least 90 days on the active roster.
Eventually, the Phillies are going to have to make a decision, and if they don’t feel comfortable using him in major league games, he’s obviously not worth the roster spot. If and when that happens, a Red Sox reunion could be in the cards.
