Four years after being selected ninth overall in the 2010 draft by the Padres, Karsten Whitson is a member of the Red Sox organization, according to WEEI’s Alex Speier. Whitson signed for $100,000, the most the Red Sox could give him as an 11th-round pick without cutting into their allotted draft pool.
After being drafted out of high school, Whitson turned down $2.1 million deal with the Padres in order to attend the University of Florida, which is where his parents went to school. He starred right away with the Gators, going 8-1 with a 2.40 ERA as a freshman. However, he started battling shoulder problems as a sophomore and missed his entire junior season after surgery, causing him to redshirt.
This year, Whitson had a 3.86 ERA and a 21/23 K/BB ratio in 37 1/3 innings, but he was back throwing in the mid-90s at the end of the year, giving him something to work with as he enters the pros. He’s a lottery ticket for the Red Sox, but one that could pay off.
