Barret Loux

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #26 prospect in 2013
  The Diamondbacks selected Loux sixth overall in 2010, in part because he agreed to a below-slot $2 million bonus before the draft. Arizona revoked its offer, however, when it didn't like the wear and tear revealed on his shoulder and elbow during a postdraft physical. MLB declared Loux a free agent and he signed with the Rangers for $312,000, roughly third-round money, that November. He came to the Cubs in a trade in November. Chicago had traded Geovany Soto to Texas in July for righthander Jake Brigham and a player to be named. When concerns arose about Brigham's elbow, the Cubs sent him back to the Rangers for Loux and a player to be named. Loux has a simple, repeatable delivery and an idea of how to pitch. He works downhill and commands his 90-92 mph fastball to both sides of the plate, though neither his velocity nor his secondary pitches separate him from the pack. His average slider and curveball blend together, but most scouts like his changeup best, and he knows how and when to use it. Loux requires a long time to warm up prior to appearances, so his future is in the rotation, where he profiles as an innings-eating back-of-the-rotation starter. Chicago will deploy him in Triple-A to begin 2013 and he could make his big league debut later in the year.
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  Ranked Texas Rangers #20 prospect in 2012
  Considered a supplemental-round talent in the 2010 draft, Loux went sixth overall to the Diamondbacks in part because he agreed to a below-slot $2 million bonus. Things got complicated when he failed Arizona's physical, prompting the team to back out of the deal. Major League Baseball decided to grant Arizona a compensation pick in the 2011 draft and make Loux a free agent to settle the situation. Despite medical concerns about his shoulder and elbow that dated back to high school, the Rangers had thought highly of Loux all along and signed him in November 2010 for $312,000, roughly third-round money. In his first year as a pro, Loux threw 109 innings in high Class A before being shut down for precautionary reasons in August. He has a big, sturdy frame and an easy low-90s fastball that touches 96 mph, though it's somewhat straight. The development of Loux's secondary stuff will determine his future role, as some scouts see him as a mid-rotation starter and others project him as a middle reliever. He shows feel for a fading changeup that's a plus pitch at times, and he throws two breaking balls that are both inconsistent. His curveball was his best pitch in high school but hasn't been as sharp since he had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow at Texas A&M, and his slider has some power to it at 82-84 mph. He'll open 2012 in Double-A and could move quickly if shifted to a relief role.
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  Ranked Texas Rangers #24 prospect in 2011
  Loux turned down $800,000 as a Tigers 27th-round pick out of high school to attend Texas A&M, and he showed up on campus as a flamethrower with underdeveloped secondary stuff. Bone chips in his elbow limited him to 48 innings as a sophomore, but he rebounded to go 11-2, 2.83 with 136 strikeouts in 105 innings to earn first-team All-America honors as a junior. The Diamondbacks drafted him sixth overall in 2010, in part because he agreed to a below-slot bonus of $2 million, but he failed a postdraft physical because Arizona didn't like the wear and tear on his shoulder and elbow. Declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, he started working out for clubs in September and signed with the Rangers in November for $312,000. Loux has run his fastball up to 95 mph in the past, but he worked mostly at 90-92 mph last spring and he sat at 89-91 in workouts in the fall. Texas doesn't expect him to ever regain his premium velocity, but he has the tenacity and polish to succeed with an average fastball. Throwing breaking balls hurt his elbow during his sophomore year, so he relied heavily on his changeup, which became his No. 2 pitch. He also throws a curveball and a slider, both of which are serviceable. Loux is a polished strike-thrower, so the Rangers will move him quickly and he could start his pro career in high Class A. His health remains a huge question mark. Some doctors think he'll need elbow or shoulder surgery in the near future, while Loux told Texas in the fall that he feels as good as he ever has. If he stays healthy, he could become an innings-eating workhorse in the big leagues.