Reds trade for former Rangers' top pitching prospect

The Cincinnati Reds have had a lowkey start to the offseason. After signing Nick Martinez to a qualifying offer and trading for Brady Singer back in November, the Reds' front office has been rather dormant.

But Nick Krall came out of hibernation on Monday afternoon with news that the Reds acquired former Texas Rangers' top prospect Owen White in exchange for cash considerations. The right-hander was the Rangers' second-round draft pick in 2018 and hasd just five major league appearances over his past two seasons in Arlington.

Reds trade for former Rangers' top pitching prospect Owen White

White spent most of the 2024 season at Triple-A Round Rock and was designated for assignment earlier this offseason. In 29 outings, including 15 starts, White went 2-8 with a 5.64 ERA and 5.58 FIP. Covering 99 innings of work, the 24-year-old walked 48 batters and struck out fewer than 20% of the hitters he faced.

White is a former prep star, but focused on pitching during his senior season at Jesse Carson High School. The Rangers did not allow him to pitch during his first year with the club, and Tommy John surgery in 2019 (plus the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season) delayed his professional debut until 2021.

White, at one time, was thought to have frontline starter stuff. But post-surgery, White's arsenal hasn't developed the way many scouts had expected. The right-hander blew away the competition in 2021 with a 40% strikeout rate at Low-A. Even his stops at High-A and Double-A in 2022 saw him post a combined 31.7% strikeout rate. But White's number have taken a hit the past two seasons, posting a sub-20% strikeout rate in 2023 and 2024 with an ERA north of 4.00 each year.

Perhaps there's reason to believe that Derek Johnson and the Reds' pitching coaches can iron out the kinks and get White back to where he used to be. White has one minor-league option remaining and is still pre-arbitration eligible, so this is the type of low-risk move Krall and Co. love to make. The Reds had an opening on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move wasn't necessary.

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