Texas reliever Anthony Ranaudo entered Tuesday’s rain-soaked game against the White Sox in the third inning when the game’s starter, Derek Holland, was unable to complete the frame after the game resumed following a 78 minute rain delay. Ranaudo somehow managed to record four outs for Texas in what wound up a 13-11 Rangers victory, but not before walking five batters, all of whom scored.
On Thursday, the White Sox acquired the strike-deficient reliever in exchange for minor leaguer Matt Ball.
The 26-year-old right-hander has pitched in parts of three seasons with the Rangers and Red Sox, walking more hitters than he’s struck out in 58.1 innings. A former top prospect who Boston selected in the first round of the 2010 MLB Draft, Ranaudo was ranked No. 100 in the Baseball Prospectus Top 101 prior to the 2011 season and was the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s system, per Kevin Goldstein. A year later, he dropped off the Top 101 and all the way down to No. 9 in the system with Goldstein writing:
The Good: On a good day, Ranaudo looks like a future middle-of-the-rotation starter. He gets good movement on his low-90s fastball, and his height makes the pitch hard to pick up. His curve has the potential to be an above-average offering, and he has some feel for a changeup.
The Bad: Ranaudo’s stuff and command vary wildly from start to start. He tips his pitches in his glove to the point that Carolina League scouts were calling them before delivery late in the season. His command has never been special, and with his size, he struggles to maintain his release point at times. His injury history is a concern, and he still needs to prove he can handle a full workload.
Perfect World Projection: Number-four starter, though some scouts see him as just a bullpen arm at this point.
It’s safe to say the prospect shine wore off on Ranaudo rather quickly, but he’s another arm and you can never have too many of those. He also follows Hector Noesi as the second pitcher the White Sox acquired from Texas shortly after pounding him into oblivion. Back in 2014 the Sox traded for Noesi five days after tagging him for seven runs.
Ranaudo will begin his White Sox career in Triple-A Charlotte.
Lead photo credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports