Rangers Trade Owen White to Reds

By Nate Miller

Photo by Ben Ludeman/Texas Rangers/Getty Images

January 6, 2025

The Texas Rangers made their latest offseason move on Monday, trading right-hander Owen White to the Cincinnati Reds. In exchange for White, the Reds are sending cash considerations to the Rangers. White was designated for assignment in December after the Rangers signed lefty Hoby Milner.

Headed to Cincy

The Rangers initially selected Owen White in the second round of the 2018 draft. His professional debut was delayed both by Tommy John surgery in 2019 and the pandemic in 2020. He quickly got back on track, however, tossing 115 2/3 innings over 2021 and 2022 with a 3.42 ERA. He struck out 34.1% of opponents and limited walks to a 7.5% clip, getting as high as Double-A Frisco in the process.

White’s velocity on his fastball dropped between his 2023-24 seasons, and his effectiveness went with it. White put together a 5.64 ERA across 99 innings at Triple-A Round Rock last season, was moved into the bullpen and allowed eight earned runs in three innings pitched at the major-league level.

Odd Man Out

After struggling for two years, it’s understandable why the Rangers nudged Owen White off the roster. However, it’s also easy to see why the Reds would take a shot. White was transitioned to a relief role midway through 2024. He saw a bump in his strikeout rate, punching out 25.6% of batters faced over his final 18 innings. He still walked 12.8% of opponents and had a 5.50 ERA in that stretch, but it’s perhaps a good sign that the strikeouts returned.

White still has one option year remaining. This means that the Reds have some time to get a close-up look at him and see how things go. They will be able to do this without having to give him an active roster spot. He is still young and is not too far removed from being one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. For the Reds, it’s a sensible buy-low move to make for what is surely a nominal sum of money. White has just a handful of service days and can be cheaply retained well into the future if he can get things back on track.

Additional News

The Rangers have also announced the signing of veteran reliever Chris Martin to a one-year deal. Texas designated Matt Festa for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot.