Righty Anthony Ranaudo has signed a one-year deal with the Korea Baseball Organization’s Samsung Lions, the club announced (h/t Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net, on Twitter). The 27-year-old, who was released by the White Sox to pursue the opportunity, will earn a $1.05MM salary.
Once a top-100 prospect in the Red Sox organization, Ranaudo has seen action in each of the last three major league seasons. The results, though, haven’t been very promising. He owns a 7.01 ERA over 86 frames and has recorded both 44 strikeouts and walks.
Ranaudo spent most of the 2016 campaign in the White Sox organization after being acquired from the Rangers via trade in the middle of May. He ended up in Texas in the early 2015 swap that sent Robbie Ross Jr. to Boston.
While his struggles at the game’s highest level continued, Ranaudo was rather effective in 19 starts at Triple-A last year. He threw 110 innings of 3.19 ERA ball at the highest level of the minors, posting 6.8 K/9 against just 1.2 BB/9.
Wasn’t he supposed to be the next Boston Ace?
HAha–No.. Listen to Boras demanding his signing bonus originally perhaps and would think that.
He and Workman has the fortune (misfortune perhaps?) of coming out in a not so deep draft of 2010. Ranaudo was a classic 4 pitch type pitcher, yet nothing stood out as a classic out pitch. he could.. if remember correctly, get his FB up to 94-95 in short spurts and sat in the 92-94 range, but his FB lacked much movement.
As for his future? For a guy who was always homer prone? Good luck with those laughably short fences in the KBO.
Hope he won’t get clobbered over there.
He’s probably leaving while he still can because of the greedy MLB owners.
I saw him pitch in Cape League. His velo wasn’t overpowing, correct, but his fastball seemed to “rise” over bats and no one could hit it. He’s not the same guy anymore but I don’t think he ever had big upside anyway.
As for the KBO, those guys can’t wait to see his 89mph slop… it’s going to be ugly.
Almost no-hit the Cubs this year whie hitting a solo shot off Lester. Looked pretty good, suprised he couldn’t find a taker here in the states. Granted that was the only game Ive seen him pitch.