The White Sox added two pitchers in the Rule 5 Draft but lost the valuable Peyton Pallette to Cleveland.
The Rule 5 giveth, and the Rule 5 taketh away.
Last season, the Rule 5 Draft gifted the Chicago White Sox an All-Star starting pitcher in Shane Smith — a breakout arm who quickly cemented himself as a pillar of the rotation for years to come.
This year, the White Sox once again added talent, selecting two pitchers: Jedixson Paez, the No. 19 prospect in the Red Sox organization and a slider-heavy right-hander with elite command; and Alexander Alberto, a 6-foot-8 flamethrower from the Tampa Bay Rays who can touch 100 mph.
But the Sox didn’t come away unscathed.
Peyton Pallette, a second-round pick by Chicago in the 2022 MLB Draft, was one of 13 players selected during Wednesday’s Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. That means he’s no longer part of the White Sox organization… and he lands with the division rival Cleveland Guardians.
Pallette showed early promise as a starter during his first pro season in 2023, but transitioned to the bullpen in 2024 after struggling in High-A Winston-Salem. Once Chicago moved him to Double-A Birmingham, the results came quickly. They kept him there and eventually made him the Barons’ closer in 2025.
He climbed as high as Triple-A last season, finishing with a 4.06 ERA in 52 appearances across 64.1 innings. He converted 11 of 12 save opportunities and felt like a legitimate candidate for an MLB debut — especially late in the year as the Sox gave opportunities to young arms like Wikelman González and cycled through multiple veterans.
But the Sox never gave Pallette the call. And when they opted not to protect him on the 40-man roster, this became the outcome most expected.
Now the No. 14 prospect in the organization — and a former second-rounder with real upside and an electric fastball-curveball combo — is in Cleveland’s hands.
Under Rule 5 guidelines, Pallette must be placed on the Guardians’ 26-man roster immediately. If he makes the team out of spring training, he must remain on the active roster all season. To remove him, Cleveland would have to place him on outright waivers. If he clears, he must be offered back to the White Sox for $50,000 before he can be sent to the minors.
He can spend time on the Major League IL, but he must be active for at least 90 days to avoid those roster restrictions carrying over into 2027.
There’s a world where Pallette finds his way back to Chicago. But the far more likely scenario is that Cleveland turns him into a relief weapon. And if there’s one organization built to squeeze every drop out of a live fastball and hammer curve, it’s the Guardians.
Hopefully the two pitchers the White Sox did select hit the way Shane Smith did last year — because this one feels like it may sting.