Nestor Molina

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #28 prospect in 2013
  When the White Sox were trying to pare payroll last offseason, they traded closer Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays in December 2011 for Molina. Santos barely pitched for Toronto before requiring shoulder surgery, and Molina was a huge disappointment as well. He was rocked early in spring training and didn't live up to his billing as the system's top starting pitching prospect. Molina threw a lot of strikes, but they were hit at an alarming rate. Command within the zone troubled him, as his 87-92 mph fastball doesn't afford him the luxury of bad location. Molina throws five pitches, but none qualify as better than average. His splitter features nice tumble at times and gets more swings and misses than his other offerings. He doesn't have much feel for a breaking ball and uses both a curveball and slider, and he also has an average changeup. Molina was briefly sidelined with elbow concerns in June, but MRIs didn't reveal any significant damage. Some scouts felt he profiled best as a reliever when Chicago acquired him, but former GM Ken Williams saw more upside in the converted third baseman. Molina still needs to prove he can get Double-A hitters out, so that's where he will start 2013.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #2 prospect in 2012
  Originally signed as a third baseman, Molina hit .223/.369/.273 in three seasons in the Rookie-level Venezuelan and Dominican summer leagues and moved to the mound before making his U.S. debut. He made just four starts before 2010 but flourished after moving to the rotation last year, ranking third in the minors in K-BB ratio (9.3), fourth in walk rate (1.1 per nine innings) and ninth in ERA (2.21). The White Sox acquired him from the Blue Jays in a December trade for Sergio Santos. Molina doesn't have a consistent plus pitch, but his entire repertoire plays up because of his superlative command. He has averaged just 1.4 walks per nine innings in five seasons as a pitcher. Molina works both sides of the plate with an 88-93 mph fastball. He had a slurvy breaking ball that he tried to turn in into a slider, but that didn't work and he's now operating with a curveball. He also has a splitter that flashes hard tumble and demonstrates some feel for a straight changeup. Molina is best suited for the back of a rotation and if he keeps up last year's pace, he may find himself in the big leagues at some point in 2012. He could open the season at Double-A Birmingham.

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Originally signed as a third baseman, Molina hit .223/.369/.273 in three seasons in the Rookie-level Venezuelan and Dominican summer leagues and moved to the mound before making his U.S. debut. He made just four starts before 2010 but flourished after moving to the rotation last year, ranking third in the minors in K-BB ratio (9.3), fourth in walk rate (1.1 per nine innings) and ninth in ERA (2.21). The White Sox acquired him from the Blue Jays in a December trade for Sergio Santos.Scouting Report: Molina doesn't have a consistent plus pitch, but his entire repertoire plays up because of his superlative command. He has averaged just 1.4 walks per nine innings in five seasons as a pitcher. Molina works both sides of the plate with an 88-93 mph fastball. He had a slurvy breaking ball that he tried to turn in into a slider, but that didn't work and he's now operating with a curveball. He also has a splitter that flashes hard tumble, and he demonstrates some feel for a straight changeup.The Future: Molina is best suited for the back of a rotation and if he keeps up last year's pace, he may find himself in the big leagues at some point in 2012. He could open the season at Double-A Birmingham.