Right-hander Owen White endured a challenging holiday season. After the Texas Rangers designated him for assignment following their signing of reliever Hoby Milner, White found himself in DFA limbo. The usual seven-day window was extended due to the holiday season, leaving his baseball future uncertain during an already stressful time.
On Monday, however, White finally landed a new opportunity. The Cincinnati Reds acquired him from Texas in exchange for cash considerations, giving their pitching staff, led by Derek Johnson, a promising arm to work with on a low-risk gamble.
A former second-round pick, the 25-year-old White has struggled in his limited MLB experience. Over five relief appearances, he has surrendered three home runs and 13 earned runs in just seven innings pitched. His 2023 performance in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League (AAA) was also underwhelming, posting a 5.64 ERA, a 1.57 WHIP, and a 1.81 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 99 innings.
Despite recent struggles, White isn’t far removed from being a highly regarded prospect. He was ranked 59th on Baseball America’s pre-2023 Top 100 list and 66th on MLB Pipeline’s. In 2022, White impressed by striking out 104 batters in 80.1 innings between A+ Hickory and AA Frisco, finishing with a 3.59 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and solid contact-limiting numbers.
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors.bsky.social) 2025-01-06T18:04:14.847Z
The Reds see potential in White, especially since he still has a minor league option remaining. This gives Cincinnati the flexibility to develop him further at AAA while hoping to reignite the promise he showed as a top prospect.
This acquisition comes at a crucial time for the Reds, who are dealing with the loss of Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar to Tommy John surgeries, leaving a gap in pitching depth. While White has been used solely as a reliever in his brief MLB tenure, the majority of his minor league appearances since 2021 (61 of 78) have been as a starter. This versatility, combined with his past potential, makes him a worthwhile addition for the Reds.
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