The San Diego Padres claimed former White Sox right-hander Luis Patiño off waivers on Friday. Patiño was designated for assignment by the White Sox on Wednesday.
The former top-100 prospect began his professional career with the Padres. He was traded from San Diego to Tampa Bay in 2020 in a package for Blake Snell. Patiño has struggled to find his footing in the big leagues. In four seasons he has a career 5.02 ERA with just 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings and a hefty 11.2 percent walk rate.
However, he is still young and was once considered one of the best pitching prospects in baseball which is why plenty of teams have been willing to take a flier on him. The 24-year-old was ranked among the top 30 prospects in the MLB when he was traded to Tampa Bay.
Patiño has faced plenty of adversity in his young career. He made his MLB debut at just 20 years old but struggled with command. In his first 17.3 innings, he owned a 5.19 ERA and a 21-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio. At the time of his debut, he had barely pitched above the Single-A level, with just 7.2 Double-A innings, due to the minor league season being canceled in 2020.
The following season he threw a career-high 77.1 innings for the Rays, posting a 4.31 ERA. It was a respectable showing for the then-21-year-old, who had a 22.2% strikeout rate and a career-best 1.267 WHIP. Unfortunately for Patiño that is the most success he has seen in the big leagues,
In 2022 he was placed on the 60-day IL with an oblique strain. When he returned he lost velocity on his fastball and his command. He walked 13 batters in just 20 innings before being sent to Triple-A.
Patiño threw 17.2 innings for the White Sox last season, posting a 3.57 ERA. However, he nearly had as many walks (12) as he did strikeouts (13). Patiño was acquired in August in one of the front office’s many attempts to catch lightning in the bottle with a former top prospect. The 6’1” right-hander was joined by Brent Honeywell and Clint Frazier as a few of the names that Rick Hahn pulled off the scrap heap. On the season Patiño owned a 4.57 ERA and 1.615 WHIP in 21.1 innings in nine appearances split between Tampa Bay and Chicago.
Patiño is out of minor league options, meaning he would have had to make the White Sox Opening Day roster to avoid being placed on waivers or traded. He will also need to make San Diego’s Opening Day roster or else he will be at risk of being moved once again.
