The Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday, Dec. 10, saw the Chicago White Sox having an active day.
In the draft, the White Sox selected right-handed pitchers Jedixson Paez from the Boston Red Sox and Alexander Alberto from the Tampa Bay Rays, according to MLB Pipeline.
In this process, they lost talented right-handed pitcher Peyton Pallette to the Cleveland Guardians.
The pitchers selected by Chicago must remain on the White Sox’s 26-man roster all of next season or be offered back to the teams from which they were taken for $50,000.
Pitchers Taken by Chicago
Paez was the No. 19 prospect of the Red Sox per MLB Pipeline and has a fascinating profile.
Paez is 21 years old and was signed out of Venezuela in 2021. While he has below-average fastball velocity, he more than makes up for it with his control. Paez had the best control grade in Boston’s farm system and was one of the best in the minors, per MLB Pipeline.
In fact, Paez has never had more than 13 walks in a minor league season. Last year, he had a 2.79 ERA in just 19.1 innings due to a calf injury.
Even though he is only in high-A, he is expected to be a part of the White Sox roster as a reliever or back-of-the-rotation starter this season.
The White Sox were the only team to participate in the second round of the Rule 5 Draft, selecting Alberto.
Alberto was not ranked in the Rays’ farm system, but the right-hander possesses an interesting skill set and tangibles.
Standing at 6-foot-8, Alberto possesses a cut-fastball that sits at 97-99 mph, touching 101 mph. Unlike Paez, he relies on his ability to create swing-and-misses in the zone, while inducing ground balls, whereas Paez relies on deception and command.
Alberto should be a bullpen arm as well in 2026.
White Sox Lose Pallette
Of all the pitchers the White Sox decided not to protect from the Rule 5 Draft, Pallette was the most likely to be selected.
Rated as the No. 14 prospect in Chicago’s farm system, he possesses a great fastball but lacks command.
Pallette was graded as a first-round pick before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022. However, he was drafted in the second round by the White Sox that year, despite recovering from Tommy John surgery.
He quickly moved through Chicago’s system, transitioning from a starter to a reliever. He is expected to remain a reliever on Cleveland’s 26-man roster.
Impact
After selecting two pitchers in the Rule 5 Draft in 2024, Chicago hopes to replicate its success in scouting these prospects.
Last year, right-handers Shane Smith and Mike Vasil were impact rookies on a White Sox team that looked much better than its 2024 counterpart.
Smith pitched his way to an All-Star game appearance with a 3.81 ERA in 146.1 innings, becoming one of the more reliable arms in the Chicago rotation.
Meanwhile, Vasil became an impact long-reliever with a 2.50 ERA in 101 innings.
The White Sox hope they have captured lightning in a bottle and can improve in 2026 on a bullpen that is desperate for quality arms.
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