We’re officially in the dog days of the baseball offseason, the type of stretch where two tweets from a newly-acquired low-level minor-leaguer, composed skillfully, can generate some buzz on X, or Twitter, or whatever.
Aaron Combs, barring some dramatic rise of 2023 Orion Kerkering proportions, is not going to factor into the Phillies’ 2025 plans. It doesn’t mean he can’t try to make a good first impression.
Combs, who comes to the Phillies organization from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Tyler Gilbert (DFA’d in December), had just a short stint in Single-A at the end of last season, but it was a solid one. He punched out 13 batters in 7 2/3 innings, allowing 10 baserunners and no earned runs.
It was not the highlight of his 2024. That came in June, when Combs secured the first College World Series title in Tennessee Volunteers history, capping off an impressive year that helped turn him into an eighth-round draft pick.
Combs was even better the previous year at Tennessee, though in a smaller sample, with 16.7 strikeouts to 3.0 walks per nine over 21 innings.
Upon his trade to the Phillies, Combs, who turned 23 on Sunday, gave his new fanbase a glimpse of the stuff that helped him compile those numbers — and, ideally, will help him rise through his new organization.
He certainly doesn’t lack the confidence.
