Right-hander Owen White, a former Texas Rangers prospect, has signed a one-year deal with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization. The 26-year-old will earn $1 million, including a $200,000 signing bonus. This move comes after White's challenges in reaching the major leagues.
Owen White's professional baseball journey has taken an international turn. The Hanwha Eagles announced the signing of the right-hander, who was once a promising prospect for the Texas Rangers. Drafted 55th overall in 2018, White's early career was hampered by Tommy John surgery in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, delaying his debut.
When he finally pitched, White showed potential. From 2021 to 2022, he logged 115 2/3 innings in the minors with a 3.42 ERA, a 7.5% walk rate, and an impressive 34.1% strikeout rate. The Rangers added him to their 40-man roster that offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, and Baseball America ranked him as the 59th overall prospect heading into 2023.
However, White struggled thereafter. In his initial major league outings with Texas, he posted a 12.86 ERA over 14 innings. At Triple-A Round Rock from 2023 to 2024, he threw 207 2/3 innings with a 4.90 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, alongside an 18.3% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate. Designated for assignment in December 2024, he moved to the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, and Chicago White Sox through trades and waivers.
In 2025 with the White Sox, White appeared in just seven big-league innings, allowing seven earned runs. At Triple-A, he pitched 81 innings with a 4.44 ERA, 18.8% strikeouts, 12.4% walks, and 46.7% ground balls in play. Having exhausted his options, he cleared waivers in October and became a minor league free agent.
By signing with Hanwha, White secures a guaranteed $1 million—far above the potential $780,000 MLB minimum he might have chased on minor-league deals. This path mirrors recent successes of pitchers like Cody Ponce and Anthony Kay, who returned from Asia with multimillion-dollar MLB contracts after strong KBO or NPB performances. At 26, White has time to rebuild his career abroad.
