from the SRN wires
CHICAGO – The Chicago White Sox have acquired right-handed pitcher Simon Castro and left-hander Pedro Hernandez from the San Diego Padres in exchange for outfielder Carlos Quentin.
Castro, 23, combined to go 7-8 with a 5.63 ERA (72 ER/115.0 IP) and 94 strikeouts in 22 combined starts between Class AA San Antonio and Class AAA Tucson in 2011.
The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder began the season with San Antonio, going 5-6 with a 4.33 ERA (43 ER/89.1 IP) and 73 strikeouts in 16 starts. He made six starts with Tucson, where he was 2-2 with a 10.17 ERA (29 ER/25.2 IP) and 21 strikeouts. He also appeared in two games with Licey in the Dominican Winter League.
Castro, a native of San Jose de los Llanos, Dominican Republic, has gone 29-33 with a 4.24 ERA (263 ER/558.0 IP) and 541 strikeouts in 117 games (113 starts) over six minor-league seasons, all in the Padres organization.
He was named to the Texas League mid and postseason All-Star Teams with San Antonio in 2010 and also pitched for the World Team at the All-Star Futures Game in Anaheim. In 2009, Castro was tabbed the Padres Minor League Pitcher of the Year after going 10-6 with a 3.33 ERA (52 ER/140.1 IP) and 157 strikeouts at Class A Fort Wayne.
Hernandez, 22, combined to go 10-3 with a 3.49 ERA (45 ER/116.0 IP) and 94 strikeouts in 28 games (18 starts) last season between Class A Lake Elsinore, Tucson and San Antonio.
A native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, he was named to the California League All-Star Team after going 5-0 with a 2.70 ERA (17 ER/56.2 IP) in 15 games (six starts) with Lake Elsinore. He was promoted to Tucson and went 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA (12 ER/18.0 IP) in six starts. He finished the season with San Antonio, where he was 3-2 with a 3.48 ERA (16 ER/41.1 IP) and 43 strikeouts in nine games (eight starts).
Hernandez, 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, is 25-11 with a 3.55 ERA (135 ER/342.2 IP) and 306 strikeouts in 93 games (48 starts) over five seasons in the Padres minor-league system.
Quentin, 29, batted .254 (107-421) with 31 doubles, 24 home runs and 77 RBI in 118 games with the White Sox in 2011 and was named to his second American League All-Star Team. He missed 36 of the club’s final 37 games with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder suffered on August 20 vs. Texas.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Quentin batted .257 (438-1,705) with 107 home runs and 320 RBI in four seasons with the Sox. He was acquired from Arizona on December 3, 2007 in exchange for infielder Chris Carter.
