RADIO
In a straight-up one-for-one trade of young pitchers, the Rangers have acquired Anthony Ranaudo from the Red Sox for Robbie Ross. While it doesn’t look like any sort of major deal at first glance, it could ultimately serve as a beneficial one for both sides, seeking to fill critical needs with their newest additions.
Ranaudo made his Major League debut last season after being named the International League’s most valuable pitcher in 2014, primarily a result of having the most wins (14) and lowest ERA (2.61). He started seven games for Boston, producing a 4-3 record with a 4.81 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. While those numbers aren’t exactly impressive, Ranaudo is considered an upper echelon prospect, and exhibited some stand-out consistency at times during his rookie campaign, such as in his first three career starts, in which he went six innings and recorded a win in each outing. Ranaudo will provide much-needed depth to the Rangers’ starting rotation, which was decked by injuries a season ago.
Interestingly, Ranaudo was drafted by the Rangers in the 11th round of the 2007 draft out of a New Jersey high school, but failed to sign with the club and selected to go to LSU. He was then taken by Boston as a supplemental first-round pick in the 2010 draft.
While the Red Sox are losing a promising young starter, they’re gaining a promising young reliever in return. Ross, despite a lackluster 2014, showed notable potential in the prior two seasons as a member of the Texas bullpen, registering an impressive 2.62 ERA in 123 games. This past year, Ross had an abysmal 6.20 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 27 games, but that might be attributed to the fact that almost half his outings were starts, as the Rangers pushed him into the rotation due to their many injuries. In his role as a starter, the southpaw struggled mightily. Coming to Boston will allow Ross to shift back to the bullpen, as the Red Sox desired a left-handed reliever.
