Song time?
The Phillies have a week to make a decision on
Noah Song, their storybook Rule 5 draft pick who is attempting to reach the majors after four years without baseball while he served in the Navy. He must be activated from his minor-league rehab assignment by July 28. This is why the Phillies will push Song, 26, to Triple-A Lehigh Valley despite two so-so appearances in Double A. They need to see the right-hander face more experienced hitters.
While the Phillies would love to keep Song, who was considered a good prospect years ago while in the Boston organization, it’s going to be a huge challenge. Thomson offered a diplomatic answer Thursday when asked if he could imagine carrying someone like Song as the last man in the bullpen of a contending team.
“I don’t know,” Thomson said.
The Phillies, at the very least, need to know Song can pitch two innings at a time for them if he’s to be a mop-up man in the majors. He has yet to do that in six minor-league games. The goal is for him to pitch two innings Saturday at Triple A. He allowed two runs on two hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings his last time on the mound at Double A. In that outing, Song’s fastball averaged 90.8 mph, according to Statcast data from a major-league source.
“It’s been OK,” Thomson said. “You know? He had one really good game and a couple of OKs, you know. So we’ll see.”
Earlier this month, Song flashed a 96 mph fastball and pitched closer to 93-94 mph. That’s an easier profile to “hide” as the last man in a big-league bullpen. He has flashed a decent curveball. But, if Song is pitching closer to 90 mph and not throwing enough strikes, it is risky.
It’s a high bar for Song, who went so long without baseball, to clear.
“I would say we don’t have any expectations at this point,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Wednesday. “He’s a consideration (to be promoted to the majors), but I don’t know where that’s going to take us yet. I think it’s very dependent on how he throws over the next 10-day period.”
Dombrowski, no doubt, would like to pull one over on his former employer, the
Red Sox. If the Phillies think Song could regain more form with time and perhaps emerge as a rotation option for 2024, they will at least try to carry him in the majors now.
It’s also possible the circumstances prevent it. The Phillies could look to trade Song, whose Rule 5 stipulations would still be enforced, to a team better equipped to roster him right now.
