The White Sox will carry Rule 5 pick Jedixson Paez on their Opening Day roster, committing to a long-term development play with the 22-year-old right-hander.
Back in December, Jedixson Paez was a 21-year-old right-handed pitcher who had never pitched above High-A in his professional career. Then the Chicago White Sox selected him with the second overall pick in December's Rule 5 Draft.
Now, Paez is one day away from taking the field in Milwaukee and being introduced as a big leaguer during the pageantry of Opening Day.
He was informed this week that he’s made Chicago’s Opening Day roster and will break camp with the team.
That’s the goal for every Rule 5 pick. Do enough in spring training to take advantage of the opportunity in front of you and break through to the major leagues.
The White Sox know better than most how productive a player can be after being selected in the Rule 5 draft. They saw it up close and personal with Shane Smith in 2025, and now they're going for a heat check.
Paez wasn’t dominant by any stretch in Cactus League play. He posted a 6.35 ERA over 11.1 innings. But circumstances — namely the injury to Mike Vasil and the Tommy John surgery that will sideline him for the entire 2026 season — opened the door for the White Sox to carry an additional long reliever. And Paez, while not the most polished option, offered the most upside.
He doesn’t have traditional swing-and-miss stuff, so he’s not your typical relief pitcher. But the White Sox have been clear from the start that they view Paez as a long-term starting pitcher. The organization saw an opportunity to develop a promising arm that could eventually factor into their rotation. To make that happen, though, they’ll need to keep him on the active roster for the entire 2026 season.
As the White Sox ease Paez into the year, I expect him to be the last man in the bullpen. For lack of a better term, this may look like the “hide him” approach. Will Venable will be using him in low-leverage situations while the Sox continue to develop him behind the scenes.
If all goes according to plan and he sticks through the 2026 season, the White Sox will gain the flexibility to either transition Paez into a starting role at the big league level or send him to the minor leagues moving forward. He’s still just 22 years old, and using the final spot on the 26-man roster for a long-term development bet is a creative strategic move by the organization.
However, it’s not without risk. The White Sox moved on from several capable pitchers to keep Paez, including left-hander Ryan Borucki, who was quickly scooped up by the San Francisco Giants on a major league deal.
Depending on how Borucki performs in San Francisco — and whether Paez ultimately sticks in Chicago — this is a decision that will be worth revisiting. One way or another, we’ll find out if the White Sox chose wisely.