White Sox acquire pitcher Nestor Molina from Toronto in exchange for pitcher Sergio Santos

DALLAS - The Chicago White have acquired right-handed pitcher Nestor Molina from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for right-handed reliever Sergio Santos.

Molina, 22, combined to go 12-3 with a 2.21 ERA (32 ER/130.1 IP), 18 walks and 148 strikeouts in 26 games (23 starts) last season between Class A Dunedin and Class AA New Haven.  In his first full season as a starter, he averaged 10.2 strikeouts per 9.0 IP with an 8.2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, held opponents to a .234 (114-488) average and allowed three earned runs or less in 20 of his 23 starts.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Molina spent most of the season with Dunedin, going 10-3 with a 2.58 ERA (31 ER/108.1 IP), 16 walks and 115 strikeouts in 21 games (18 starts).  He was named to the Florida State League mid and postseason All-Star Teams.

A native of Valencia, Venezuela, Molina made his final five starts with New Hampshire, where he was 2-0 with a 0.41 ERA (1 ER/22.0 IP), two walks and 33 strikeouts.  He finished the season with a streak of 16.0 consecutive scoreless IP over his final four outings.

Molina is 27-7 with a 2.21 ERA (72 ER/292.2 IP) and 277 strikeouts in 103 games (27 starts) over six seasons in the Blue Jays minor-league system.  He was signed by Toronto as a free agent on April 2, 2006 and spent the 2006-07 seasons as an outfielder/third baseman before being converted to a pitcher.

Santos, 28, went 4-5 with a 3.55 ERA (25 ER/65.1 IP), 30 saves and 92 strikeouts in 63 relief appearances with the White Sox in 2011.  The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder ranked third among American League relievers in strikeouts per 9.0 IP (13.07) and eighth in saves.  

Santos is 6-7 with a 3.29 ERA (42 ER/115.0 IP) and 148 strikeouts in 119 relief appearances over two major-league seasons, both with the White Sox.