Noah Song is set to report to spring training with the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday.
The right-handed pitcher is working toward making Philadelphia’s opening day roster after his status with the Navy was changed from active duty to selected reserves.
The Phillies selected the 25-year-old in December’s Rule 5 draft from the Red Sox, but he has not pitched since 2019.
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Noah Song of the Naval Academy reacts after recording the final out of a game against Army West Point April 20, 2018, at Fenway Park in Boston. (Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
When he last took the mound, Song posted a 1.06 ERA in 17 Low-A innings after Boston drafted him in the fourth round out of the Naval Academy. He later signed a contract worth $100,000.
In 2019, the Department of Defense denied Song’s waiver to forgo his military obligation. Now that he is in the selected reserves, he will likely be required to serve one weekend per month and two weeks a year.
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The Phillies surged into the playoffs and won the NL pennant before losing to the Astros in last season’s World Series. Song faces an uphill battle in his quest to earn a spot on the team’s 26-man active roster, but he has shown an ability to be a dominant pitcher.
During his four-year stint at the Naval Academy, Song was a starter and logged 428 strikeouts over 334⅓ innings with a 2.37 ERA.
Pitcher Noah Song of the United States throws in the bottom of the 7th inning during the WBSC Premier 12 Bronze Medal final game against Mexico at the Tokyo Dome Nov. 17, 2019, in Tokyo. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images)
Song can throw a fastball in the mid-90s and has occasionally reached the 99 mph mark. He also routinely throws a slider and a curveball.
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If he makes the roster, Song would likely be used as a multi-inning reliever. A minor league stint could give Song the opportunity to start.
Rule 5 picks are required to remain on a major league roster for an entire season to remain with the team that drafted them.
Noah Song of Team USA pitches during a WBSC Premier 12 Super Round game against Chinese Taipei at the Tokyo Dome Nov. 15, 2019, in Tokyo. (Gene Wang/Getty Images)
If Song does not make the Phillies’ 26-man roster at the end of camp, he could be traded. Another option would be placing him on waivers.
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If no other major league team decides to claim him off waivers, Song could ultimately go back to the Red Sox for $50,000. The last option would be to have Song play in the minor leagues.
