Did Red Sox Just Get Closer To Regaining Former Pitching Prospect?

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.