Failed White Sox Experiment Resurfaces in MLB

Last winter, the Chicago White Sox took a chance on young right-handed pitcher Jedixson Paez from the Boston Red Sox organization.

Paez, who turned 22 in January, joined the White Sox as a Rule 5 draft selection, which immediately placed him on the 40-man roster and gave him an opportunity to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training.

His entire minor league career up to that point had been productive. But if there was one risk attached to the acquisition, it was that Paez had never pitched above High-A. Under Rule 5 draft requirements, the White Sox would be forced to keep him on the active roster for the entire season if they wanted him to remain in the organization.

So yes, Paez had plenty of potential, especially as a future member of the White Sox starting rotation. But the primary question was whether the White Sox could hide him in the bullpen for a season to secure his place in the organization long term. That's exactly what they tried to do.

Paez made the Opening Day roster and claimed one of the final spots in the White Sox bullpen. The plan was to use him in multi-inning, low-leverage situations and see if he could stick for the entirety of the 2026 season. He made his MLB debut for Chicago on Opening Day and surrendered three earned runs over 1.1 innings in Milwaukee.

By the end of March, Paez had made three appearances for the White Sox and recorded an 18.00 ERA, allowing two home runs and posting a 2.33 WHIP. It was abundantly clear that Paez was overmatched at the MLB level, and the White Sox acknowledged their mistake before it could linger.

On April 1, Paez was designated for assignment by the White Sox and offered back to his original team. The Red Sox welcomed him back with open arms, and just like that, the White Sox had lost their Rule 5 draft pick.

Now, several months later, Paez is back in MLB. This time, pitching for Boston.

Paez spent most of the year with Double-A Portland, posting a 4.41 ERA across 17 appearances and seven starts. More recently, he earned a promotion to Triple-A Worcester, where he has operated strictly as a starting pitcher. Paez has recorded a 2.92 ERA over 12.1 innings through his first three starts at that level.

On September 1, the Red Sox selected Paez’s contract, bringing him up to start against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

There has never been much doubt about his future. Even the White Sox knew Paez had the potential to eventually make an impact as a starting pitcher. It's why they selected him in the Rule 5 draft in the first place.

The question was always how long it would take him to develop. The experiment didn't work in Chicago, but now Boston believes the former White Sox right-handed pitcher is ready for the major leagues.