Baseball Digest Daily

The Chicago White Sox have acquired left-handed pitcher John Danks and right-handers Nick Masset and Jacob Rasner from the Texas Rangers in exchange for right-handed pitcher Brandon McCarthy and outfielder David Paisano.

Danks, 21, split the 2006 season between Class AA Frisco and Class AAA Oklahoma, combining to go 9-9 with a 4.24 ERA (66 ER/140.0 IP) and 154 strikeouts in 27 games (26 starts). He was 5-4 with a 4.15 ERA (32 ER/69.1 IP) and 82 strikeouts in 13 starts at Frisco before going 4-5 with a 4.33 ERA (34 ER/70.2 IP) and 72 strikeouts in 14 games (13 starts) with the RedHawks. Danks averaged 9.9 strikeouts per 9.0 IP at the two stops.

Danks, a 6-foot-1, 200-pounder, was the Rangers first-round selection (ninth overall) in the 2003 draft. He is ranked by Baseball America as the No. 1 Prospect in the Rangers organization and was tabbed by the same publication as their No. 2 Prospect following both the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Baseball America also has cited Danks as possessing the Best Curveball in the Rangers system in each of last three seasons.

A native of Austin, Texas, Danks is 21-30 with a 4.20 ERA (199 ER/426.1 IP) and 439 strikeouts in four minor-league seasons with Texas. He has averaged 9.3 strikeouts per 9.0 IP.

Masset, 24, spent time in 2006 with Frisco, Oklahoma and Texas. He began the season with the RoughRiders, going 2-2 with a 2.06 ERA (11 ER/48.0 IP) and 40 strikeouts in eight starts before going 4-5 with a 4.81 ERA (36 ER/67.1 IP), three saves and 65 strikeouts in 24 games (seven starts) with the RedHawks. He also made eight relief appearances over three stints with the Rangers, going 0-0 with a 4.15 ERA (4 ER/8.2 IP).

Masset, 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, was the closer for Mazatlan in the Mexican Pacific League, posting a 2.61 ERA (6 ER/20.2 IP) with 22 strikeouts and a league-leading 15 saves in 20 appearances. He is ranked by Baseball America as the No. 8 Prospect in the Rangers organization. Masset originally was selected by Texas in the eighth round of the 2000 draft.

Rasner, who turned 20 on December 4, spent all of last season with Class A Clinton in the Midwest League, going 6-16 with a 5.41 ERA (87 ER/144.2 IP) and 117 strikeouts in 27 starts. He is 7-21 with a 6.14 ERA (131 ER/192.0 IP) and 148 strikeouts in 41 games (37 starts) over two minor-league seasons after being drafted by Texas in the seventh round in 2005.

McCarthy, 23, went 4-7 with a 4.68 ERA (44 ER/84.2 IP) and 69 strikeouts in 53 games (two starts) with the White Sox in 2006. The 6-foot-7 McCarthy is 7-9 with a 4.39 ERA (74 ER/151.2 IP) and 117 strikeouts in 65 games (12 starts) in two seasons with the Sox.

Paisano, 19, spent the 2006 season with the White Sox entry in the Venezuelan Summer League, batting .338 (66-195) with no home runs and 17 RBI.

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