January 27, 2015 at 8:10 PM
Red Sox deal Anthony Ranaudo to Rangers for Robbie Ross Jr.
The Red Sox have announced the trade of right-hander Anthony Ranaudo (pictured) to the Texas Rangers in exchange for lefty Robbie Ross, Jr.
Ranaudo made his major league debut last season for the Red Sox after the club dealt away four of their starters at the trade deadline. In seven starts, Ranaudo, 25, went 4-3 with a 4.81 ERA and 1.39 WHIP.
Originally drafted by the Rangers in the 11th round of the 2007 draft, Ranaudo did not sign and was later drafted 39th overall in the 2010 draft by the Red Sox after three years at Louisiana State. Ranaudo enjoyed a breakout season in 2013 when he posted a 2.96 ERA over 140 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. In his first full season with the PawSox in 2014, Ranaudo went 14-4 with a 2.61 ERA and 1.20 WHIP.
Home runs were a real issue for Ranaudo at the major league level. He allowed 10 long balls over the course of his 39 1/3 innings with the Red Sox, an average of 2.3 per nine innings. Walks have also been an issue—the righty issued an average of 3.5 free passes per nine innings in 138 Triple-A innings last season.
Ross may benefit from a change of scenery after a tough 2014 in Texas. The 25-year-old bounced between the rotation and the bullpen, and between the majors and Triple-A, posting a 6.20 ERA in 12 starts and 15 relief appearances with the Rangers. Prior to his shift into a starting role in early 2014, Ross had put together two solid seasons as a reliever, appearing in 65 games and compiling a 3.03 ERA in 2013 and striking out just under a batter an inning after a rookie season in which he went 6-0 with a 2.22 ERA. Ross will likely join the Red Sox bullpen and has the potential to make spot starts if necessary.
With the trade of Ranaudo, the Red Sox have now parted ways with three of their young starters with big league experience. The club also parted ways with Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa in December in the deal that brought Wade Miley to Boston. That said, there are still plenty of bodies left to fill out the PawSox rotation, with Matt Barnes, Edwin Escobar, Henry Owens, Brian Johnson, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Steven Wright all potentially starting.
Photo credit: Anthony Ranaudo by Kelly O'Connor
Katie Morrison is a staff writer for SoxProspects.com. Follow her on Twitter @katiemo61.