Phils 'take a chance,' select Song in Rule 5 draft

SAN DIEGO -- The Washington Nationals selected Thad Ward, a right-hander retired of the Boston Red Sox's Triple-A affiliate, with the No. 1 wide prime Wednesday successful the Rule 5 draft. But the astir intriguing prime was the 11th, which saw the Philadelphia Phillies snag Noah Song, a once-promising starting pitcher who has spent the past 3 years successful progressive subject service.

Song, 25, was primitively a fourth-round draught prime by the Red Sox successful 2019, erstwhile existent Phillies president of shot operations Dave Dombrowski was successful charge. Song had graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, wherever helium mostly dominated, past went to aviation schoolhouse aft lone 7 nonrecreational starts.

Listed astatine 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, Song was considered a first-round endowment coming retired of college, but helium slipped to the 4th circular successful portion due to the fact that of the uncertainty of his shot future.

"It was a fastball that was up to 99 and bully secondaries, bully consciousness to pitch," Phillies wide manager Sam Fuld said.

The Phillies don't cognize if they'll person Song adjacent season; they inactive person a batch of accusation to gather, specifically connected the presumption of his waiver to defer his service, Fuld said. In the meantime, the Phillies placed Song connected the subject database truthful that helium would not number toward their 40-man roster.

"There's immoderate uncertainty surrounding the pick, for sure," Fuld said. "But we consciousness similar the upside of the subordinate is capable to instrumentality a chance."

The Nos. 2 to 7 picks successful the Rule 5 draught went arsenic follows: Los Angeles Dodgers archetypal baseman Ryan Noda to the Oakland Athletics; Dodgers left-hander Jose Hernandez to the Pittsburgh Pirates; Pirates close fielder Blake Sabol to the Cincinnati Reds; Texas Rangers right-hander Mason Englert to the Detroit Tigers; Cleveland Guardians right-hander Kevin Kelly to the Colorado Rockies; Guardians right-hander Nic Enright to the Miami Marlins.

Ward, who volition beryllium 26 successful January, was the Red Sox's insignificant league pitcher of the twelvemonth aft a ascendant play astatine some Class A levels, past missed astir of the adjacent 2 years, archetypal due to the fact that of the COVID-19 pandemic successful 2020 and past due to the fact that of Tommy John country successful 2021. Ward came backmost to marque 13 starts successful 2022, posting a 2.28 ERA with 66 strikeouts and 19 walks successful 51⅓ innings. Ward past pitched 12⅔ innings successful the Arizona Fall League, allowing 4 runs.

Rule 5 picks indispensable beryllium kept connected the progressive roster for the afloat season. Nationals president of shot operations Mike Rizzo said the squad volition agelong Ward retired successful outpouring grooming and anticipation to usage him arsenic a multi-inning reliever.

"We benignant of blended the upside of the pitcher with the certainty of making it easier to transportation the subordinate passim the season," Rizzo said of the Nationals' strategy with the archetypal pick. "We similar this player. We deliberation he's got much near successful the tank. He's a twelvemonth farther removed from Tommy John surgery, he's got a four-pitch mix, he's astir the plate, he's got immoderate pitchability and immoderate stuff, and we deliberation there's a small much near successful the tank."