The 2025 MLB Winter Meetings kick off today, and with that comes an opportunity for the White Sox to make significant changes to their roster. After the success the Sox had last year in the Rule 5 Draft, selecting ace of the staff Shane Smith and acquiring workhorse reliever Mike Vasil, they are once again expected to add a new member to the club through the same avenue. Aside from those two, recent Rule 5 draft picks who have experienced success include Anthony Santander, Mark Canha, and Odúbel Herrera, further proving that finding a quality starting player is possible.
Eligibility for the Rule 5 Draft is dependent on the amount of service time a prospect has spent in the MiLB, considering their age at the time that they signed with or were drafted by an MLB club. Players 18 years old or younger are subject to the Rule 5 Draft if they are not added to the club’s 40-man roster within 5 years, and players 19 years old and older are subject to being selected if they are not added within 4 years.
When a player is selected in the Rule 5 Draft, the selecting club must pay the player’s original team $100,000 for their rights. Once selected, the drafted player is immediately assigned to the selecting team’s 26-man roster, so the team must have a spot open for their draft pick. Teams are not allowed to option Rule 5 draft picks to the minors. Instead, they must be placed on outright waivers. If they clear waivers, then the player must be offered back to their original team for $50,000 before they can be outrighted to the minors.
Who from the White Sox System is Eligible to be Drafted?
The White Sox had several notable prospects in their system who, if left unprotected, were eligible to be placed in the Rule 5 Draft pool with significant risk of being selected. In the end, they opted to add two pitching prospects to their 40-man roster in Tanner McDougal and Duncan Davitt. After a breakout 2025 season that saw McDougal soar up the White Sox prospect rankings, he was a slam dunk to be protected by the club. Davitt was a bit of a surprise; however, he was just acquired at the trade deadline as part of the trade that sent Adrian Houser to the Rays, so the Sox clearly think he has what it takes to contribute at the MLB level soon.
With these moves, the Sox left several notable prospects vulnerable to being poached away by another club through the Rule 5 Draft. Most notable of them all is Peyton Pallette, the club’s #14 prospect and former 2nd round pick. After struggling as a starter, Pallette made the move to the bullpen in 2024 and cemented himself as a legitimate relief prospect through the 2025 season. He finished the season with a 4.06 ERA and logged 86 strikeouts in 64.1 innings of relief. He spent the majority of that time at the Triple-A level and is viewed as their most likely prospect to be selected by another organization.
Two additional pitchers who could be of interest to teams through the Rule 5 Draft are 13th-ranked prospect Mason Adams and unranked prospect Shane Murphy. Adams was likely in line to make his debut with the Sox in 2025; however, he suffered an injury and was forced to receive Tommy John surgery before the season started. The injury will likely delay his start to the 2026 season, which will play a factor in whether a team wants to use their selection on him.
Shane Murphy, on the other hand, could be ready to help a club on day one. He was arguably the most consistent pitcher in the White Sox minor league system in 2025, logging 135.1 innings and posting a minuscule 1.66 ERA throughout the season. He ended the season in Triple-A and has little left to prove at the minor league level. He does not possess high-end stuff, however, and struggles to miss bats despite excellent command. He may be viewed more as a depth arm than a rotation piece, which could impact whether a team selects him this week.
Other players of note who the White Sox left unprotected are Tyler Schweitzer, Ben Peoples, and Samuel Zavala.
Ten Prospects the White Sox Could Select
Blake Burkhalter, RHP, Atlanta Braves
If the Sox want to stay consistent a draft a pitcher with a similar profile to Shane Smith, they may be intrigued with Atlanta’s Blake Burkhalter. A former 2nd round pick, the 25-year-old right-hander is coming off a successful 2025 campaign that saw him top 100 innings and hold a 3.32 ERA between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. While he was exclusively a starter in Double-A, he transitioned to a bullpen role after his promotion, where he was able to handle multi-inning appearances. He can reach the upper 90s with his fastball and has both a solid cutter and changeup at his disposal. He didn’t generate amazing strikeout numbers, but there is upside and versatility with Burkhalter.
Cameron Cauley, UTIL, Texas Rangers
The 17th-ranked prospect in the Rangers system, Cameron Cauley is a former 3rd-round pick who brings explosiveness and versatility to the table. He has shown an ability to impact the game in a variety of ways, slugging 15 home runs and swiping 28 bags throughout his 2025 season and putting up a .773 OPS and 112 wRC+. Additionally, he has spent time all over the infield and even added 43 games playing center field to his resume this past season. He won’t be a high batting average guy, and he hasn’t played above the Double-A level, so there is risk involved with Cauley. But his speed and defensive versatility could allow him to stick on an MLB roster while he continues to develop at the plate.
Reggie Crawford, LHP, San Francisco Giants
Brian Bannister was in the Giants’ front office when they selected Reggie Crawford in the first round back in 2022, so there is a clear connection here. When healthy, Crawford has electric stuff and generates plenty of whiffs with his elite fastball/slider combo. The problem with Crawford has been staying healthy, as injuries forced him to miss all of 2025 and have limited him to less than 30 career minor league innings. Despite that, he has already flashed at the Triple-A level and may not need much more minor league experience before being ready to handle an MLB bullpen role anyway. He is expected to miss the start of 2026, so his health will ultimately determine if he’s a viable Rule 5 draft pick option.
Kyler Fedko, OF, Minnesota Twins
A 26-year-old outfielder who spent a significant portion of the 2025 season playing for the Twins Triple-A affiliate, Fedko is a strong Rule 5 option as someone with little left to prove in the minors. The right-handed hitting outfielder packs a punch, slugging 28 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025. He also shows plenty of patience at the plate, drawing his fair share of walks. He could prove to have some value as a bench bat, specifically one to come in against lefties.
Zach McCambley, RHP, Miami Marlins
McCambley was one of the most productive relief pitchers in the upper minors last season, making him a strong candidate to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft. Between the Double-A and Triple-A levels, he posted a 2.90 ERA with 83 punchouts in just 62 innings. He also held a respectable 3.19 BB/9 rate through the season. A massive amount of his success stems from his slider, which drew a 50% miss rate and has performed as a true out pitch. He sits in the mid-90s with his fastball and has the arsenal and production to profile as a useful bullpen option.
Griff McGarry, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
Griff McGarry has some of the best stuff of any Rule 5 eligible pitcher this offseason. A 5th round pick back in 2025, he has pitched at the Triple-A level two years in a row now, although his 2025 season was much stronger overall. An injury limited him to just 83.2 innings in 21 starts, but he performed extremely well throughout the season and carried that over into a strong stint in the Arizona Fall League. He recorded 124 strikeouts through the season, although that comes with his fair share of command issues. Still, he has four pitches that all grade as above-average or better, and has the production in the upper minors to make him a strong candidate for the White Sox to consider.
RJ Petit, RHP, Detroit Tigers
The White Sox could look to bolster their bullpen from within the division, as RJ Petit is one of the more intriguing reliever options in this year’s Rule 5 Draft. Through 66.1 innings between the Double-A and Triple-A levels in 2025, Petit held a 2.44 ERA with 79 strikeouts and solid command of his pitches. He can use both a four-seamer and a two-seamer effectively, but his slider is his best pitch and generates the majority of his strikeouts. Currently ranked 30th in the Tigers system, the 26-year-old would be an intriguing addition to any bullpen.
Yohendrick Pinango, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
Arguably the best position player available in this year’s Rule 5 Draft, Pinango is an analytics darling who posts elite exit velocities and makes good swing decisions. He ended the 2025 season with 15 home runs and a 122 wRC+. While he won’t provide much value defensively in left field, he has one of the most intriguing bats in this class and would be a fun addition to this young core of White Sox hitters.
Alimber Santa, RHP, Houston Astros
Although his numbers dipped significantly after a promotion to the Triple-A level, Santa’s overall showing in 2025 could be enough to get a team to use their selection in the Rule 5 Draft. He suffers from some command issues, but has shown an ability to miss bats and keep balls on the ground. His fastball sits in the mid-90s, and he pairs it with a slider that is a true out pitch. He requires a little more development than some of the other reliever options, but his upside could intrigue teams enough to stash him as a low-leverage option as he continues to work on his command.
Logan Workman, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Logan Workman has the most time logged at the Triple-A level of anyone on this list, pitching over 150 innings at the level in 2025. Profiling as a workhorse innings-eater, Workman has topped 100 innings in each full season he has pitched in since the Tampa Bay Rays selected him in the 7th round back in 2021. He has a solid three-pitch mix that he commands well, and has good enough stuff to hover around a 9 K/9 rate. While he doesn’t have quite the same upside as some other options, he looks like a guy with little left to prove and can be used as a long-reliever and spot starter at the MLB level this season.
The Rule 5 Draft is always hard to predict, and it is difficult to put too much stock into a team’s selection. The pool of players available was purposely left off their teams’ 40-man rosters and shouldn’t be expected to make a major impact on their new teams if they even make it through the season, despite the success the White Sox saw with their additions last season. However, it’s an opportunity for a club to unlock some untapped potential in a player with little to no risk involved in acquiring them, and it should always be used by rebuilding teams, such as the White Sox, to add talent to their roster.
After a historically bad showing in the 2024 season, the Sox made significant strides in 2025 with a 19-win improvement. They should build off that momentum and utilize every opportunity to continue building up their roster in an attempt to set themselves up for future success.
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Featured Photo: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
