Red Sox pick Miguel Gonzalez in Rule 5

The Red Sox selected right-hander Miguel Gonzalez from the Los Angeles Angels in the Rule 5 draft today.

Gonzalez finished up his age-23 season for the Double-A ballclub in 2007; he did not pitch in 2008. In 2007, he pitched 130.2 innings and whiffed 81 while walking 42, a concerning ratio. His WHIP was 1.30 and gave up 128 hits for a 3.38 ERA. He started 19 games and relieved in 11.  The year before, he relieved in 31 AA games and had a 1.09 WHIP to go with a 3.38 ERA.

In the Mexican League this offseason, he has a 0.99 ERA in 36.1 IP (10 G, 6 GS) with 32 whiffs and 8 walks. That’s quite the improvement.

Keith Law had this to say:

Most interesting guy is Miguel Gonzalez, taken by Boston from the Angels. Missed the year, throwing very well in Mexico, avg to above avg fastball with plus command.

In the minor league portion of the draft, the Sox selected righty Jason Rice from the White Sox and Miguel Marquez from the Seattle Mariners.

Rice, 22, pitched in A-ball this past year, totaling 109 innings of a 4.43 ERA, 37 walks and 103 whiffs. Looks like a live arm. Marquez is 20 years old and spent his third year in Rookie ball. This past year, he had a 2.10 ERA in 30 innings. He walked 14 and whiffed 23, but limited his damage, obviously. Looks like a long way for him to go.