Boston could get Rule 5 loss Thad Ward back soon

MLB’s Rule 5 draft is often hard to evaluate. Teams are knowingly taking a gamble when they select a player considering they’ll need to be kept on the active major league roster the entire season for a team to retain control. In December, the Boston Red Sox lost a trio of minor league pitchers in the Rule 5 draft but it appears at least one of them could be nearing a return to the organization. 

With Opening Day just over a week away, Thad Ward’s chances to make the Washington Nationals roster appear to be dwindling. 

Washington has used Ward exclusively in relief this spring, by design, with mixed results in eight appearances. Despite their own rotation questions, as Mark Zimmerman of MASN Sports notes, giving Ward a try as a starter was never in the Nationals’ plans. 

Ward has not pitched in relief since college, but Nationals manager Davey Martinez is conscious of that. Ward has only once been used in back-to-back days. Despite the caution, Martinez tells Zimmerman he likes what he sees: 

“This is a new role for him, but he's accepted it and done well. My biggest thing for him is efficiency. Getting quick outs. Utilizing all your pitches. Try to get out of the inning as quick as possible. And he's done that this spring. He's done really, really, well. I love his makeup. I love his stuff."

Praise aside, Ward still appears to be a longshot to make the Opening Day roster for Washington.

A 26-year-old right-hander, Ward was Boston’s 5th Round selection in the 2018 draft. He showed a lot of promise early in his minor league career, posting a combined 8-5 record and 2.14 ERA in 126 innings across two levels in 2019. He underwent Tommy John Surgery early in 2020 and missed most of 2021 as well. 

Last season, Ward pitched just 51.1 total innings including seven starts at Double-A Portland. 

Ultimately, the chances of Ward sticking with the Nationals all season – even where he was the first overall selection in the Rule 5 draft – were slim, which works in Boston’s favor. Ward’s return to the Red Sox organization adds another depth option, even if he begins the year back at Portland. 

Boston also lost Andrew Politi (Baltimore) and Noah Song (Philadelphia) in the Rule 5 draft.