Chicago White Sox 40-Man Roster Decisions and 2025 Rule 5 Draft Notes
Credit: Dan Victor/FutureSox
Once again, the Los Angeles Dodgers have won the World Series as they’ve dispatched the Toronto Blue Jays after a wildly entertaining seven game series. Qualifying offers will be extended, free agents have filed and the managerial sweepstakes across Major League Baseball should be wrapping up soon with hires still needed in Colorado. Front office changes will continue to occur as well and the Rockies are also looking for a president of baseball operations.
The White Sox haven’t finalized manager Will Venable’s coaching staff quite yet but the pitching and hitting coaches were reported by James Fegan of Sox Machine while some hires on the player development side have been reported as well. Zach Bove will be a first time pitching coach while local guy Derek Shomon will take over as the hitting coach.
Chris Getz’s front office has taken shape with multiple assistant general managers, revamped hitting and pitching departments that have born fruit, a functioning research and development operation with changes to the player health and performance model as well. A new facility in the Dominican Republic is being built as well and drastic changes are taking place on the international side under David Keller overall.
The White Sox 40-man roster currently stands at 35 players. Tyler Alexander, Miguel Castro and Michal A. Taylor have become free agents. Martin Perez could be an option to return for 2026 but he will become a free agent as well after declining a mutual option.
Luis Robert will make $20 million on a club option after the White Sox exercised their ability to do so on Tuesday. Andrew Benintendi will make $17.1 million with $32 million owed over his final two seasons remaining on the five-year contract that he originally signed with the previous front office. The arbitration deadline will take place on November 21st and decisions need to be made on outfielders Mike Tauchman and Derek Hill and righty reliever Steven Wilson.
Major League Baseball’s Rule Five Draft will occur Wednesday December 10th, live from the winter meetings in Orlando, Florida. In the Major League phase of the draft, any player who isn’t on a club’s 40-man roster and is also approaching his fourth or fifth season in an organization can be selected by another club for $100,000 paid to the holding organization.
Players signed at the age of 18 or younger have five years in an organization before becoming eligible. Players who are signed at the age of 19 or older have four years with their respective clubs. There is also a Minor League phase where unprotected players not on a MiLB reserve roster can be selected under the same service time restrictions. Unlike the rule in which drafted players must be kept on a big league roster or returned for $50,000, the minor league phase has no such requirement.
The White Sox selected 25-year-old right hander Shane Smith with the #1 overall pick in last year’s Rule Five Draft. The 6-3, 240 pounder made 29 starts with a 3.81 ERA over the course of 146.1 innings. Smith is a fixture in the Pale Hose rotation and he accumulated 2.2 fWAR last season. The club also claimed Mike Vasil on waivers and kept him on the roster all season after he posted a 2.50 ERA in 101 innings pitched.
The club will have the 2nd overall selection in this year’s event and the success that they achieved last year could be both a blessing and a curse. It will be quite difficult to expect results similar to last year’s acquisitions but there will be a heightened level of importance and expectations regarding the selection due to the success the front office had with last year’s choices.
White Sox Current Roster
Here is a look at the current 40-man roster for the Pale Hose. The roster includes 19 pitchers, three catchers, eight infielders and five outfielders. We can’t predict future trades or transactions that may occur, so we’re working from the current organizational depth chart. The following players require protection or are already on the 40-man roster but aren’t necessarily 26-man roster players at this point in time.
Pitchers: Prelander Berroa, Cam Booser, Sean Burke, Ky Bush, Jonathan Cannon, Brandon Eisert, Fraser Ellard, Tyler Gilbert, Yoendrys Gómez, Wikelman González, Bryan Hudson, Jairo Iriarte, Jordan Leasure, Davis Martin, Shane Smith, Grant Taylor, Drew Thorpe, Mike Vasil, Steven Wilson.
Position Players: Brooks Baldwin, Ben Cowles, Tim Elko, Derek Hill, Korey Lee, Curtis Mead, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Bryan Ramos, Lenyn Sosa, Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero
Many of these players will be prominent members of the 2026 Chicago White Sox. A young core is being established as Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero should play prominent roles. Brooks Baldwin likely serves a role as well but many of the others here could be elsewhere next year. Tim Elko will miss most of the season, Lenyn Sosa and Bryan Ramos are out of minor league options and Derek Hill is arbitration eligible.
Davis Martin, Shane Smith, Grant Taylor, Mike Vasil and Jordan Leasure seem very likely to serve a role on next year’s pitching staff. Lefty Ky Bush and righties Prelander Berroa and Drew Thorpe should be on the big league club after they return from Tommy John surgery. Jonathan Cannon and Sean Burke should receive an opportunity to close out the rotation as well but they are far from a certainty. Many of these pitchers possess minor league optiosn and Steven Wilson is arbitration eligible.
Players Not Yet on White Sox Roster
There are also numerous players not currently on the 40-man roster that present some risk of being taken in December’s Rule Five draft if not protected. If another team takes a player in the Rule 5, they must keep the player on their active roster for the entirety of the season or return the player to his original club for $50,000 – something to keep in mind when evaluating claim risk. I will split these players into two categories.
Risk of Being Claimed
- Mason Adams (RHP)
- Aldrin Batista (RHP)
- Tanner McDougal (RHP)
- Shane Murphy (LHP)
- Peyton Pallette (RHP)
- Ben Peoples (RHP)
- Jarold Rosado (RHP)
- Tyler Schweitzer (LHP)
Tanner McDougal made 28 starts for the Birmingham Barons in Double-A this past season and he posted a 3.26 ERA in 113.1 innings with 136 strikeouts and 49 walks. The 22-year-old was originally drafted out of Silverado High School in Nevada in the 5th round of the 2021 MLB Draft. The 6-5, 190 pounder possesses a fastball that touches triple digits to go with multiple high spin breaking pitches. He should battle for a spot in the Chicago rotation next spring.
24-year-old southpaw Shane Murphy posted a 1.66 ERA in 135.1 innings in the high minors this past season. The former 14th rounder can really pitch but lacks premium stuff. The 6-5, 210 pounder made 21 starts last year and he could make his big league debut at some point in 2026. He’s ranked as the 25th overall prospect in the system. Murphy has received lots of media time and he seems like a candidate to remain the organization going forward.
Peyton Pallette was seen as a first round pick while he was starting at Arkansas but he missed his final collegiate season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The White Sox selected the 6-1, 190 pound righty in the second round of the 2022 draft. Pallette was moved to the bullpen full time in 2024. The 24-year-old posted a 4.36 ERA with a 3.57 FIP in Charlotte last year. He struck out 86 hitters in 64.1 minor league innings. Pallette could be a factor in the back end of the White Sox’s bullpen soon.
Mason Adams is still a top 10 prospect in the White Sox’s system but he’s currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. The 25-year-old was on the precipice of the big leagues after originally signing for $75,000 out of Jacksonville State as a 13th rounder in 2022. The 6-1, 190 pounder posted a 2.92 ERA in 120.1 innings in the high minors in 2024. Adams is an interesting case for the Rule 5 Draft as someone who will miss the first half of the 2026 season in all likelihood.
The White Sox acquired Aldrin Batista from the Los Angeles Dodgers in August 2023. Noe he’s one of the highest upside arms in the system. The 22-year-old Venezuelan only threw 14 innings last year while nursing an elbow injury. Batista did throw 110.2 innings in 2024. Batista seems unlikely to be selected in December but he’s a very high upside arm that could be hidden in a rebuilding bullpen potentially.
Tyler Schweitzer is a candidate to be taken in the Rule Five Draft. The 25-year-old lefty was drafted in the 5th round out of Ball State back in 2022. The 6-0, 185 pounder has experience starting and as a longer reliever. Schweitzer’s fastball reaches the mid 90’s with multiple secondary offerings. The southpaw posted a 4.61 ERA in Double-A and Triple-A last year.
Ben Peoples and Duncan Davitt were acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Adrian Houser exchange at the trade deadline. Peoples is a 24-year-old reliever who posted a 3.33 ERA in Charlotte with the Knights. The strikeout rate plummeted in the White Sox’s system but he throws hard from the right side. Davitt is a 26-year-old starter who posted a 4.38 ERA in 152 innings at Triple-A last year with both clubs.
The White Sox acquired Jarold Rosado from the Kansas City Royals in 2024. In 32.1 innings, the righty posted a 4.45 ERA across multiple minor league levels. The 23-year-old is currently trowing in the Arizona Fall League and publications have listed him as a potential candidate to get selected this December.
Low Risk of Being Claimed
Pitchers: Eric Adler (RHP), Nick Altermatt (RHP), Ricardo Brizuela (RHP), Adisyn Coffey (RHP), Andrew Dalquist (RHP), Jared Kelley (RHP), Connor McCullough (RHP), Drew McDaniel (RHP), Mark McLaughlin (RHP), Chase Plymell (RHP), Gabriel Rodriguez (RHP), Garrett Schoenle (LHP)
Position Players: Dru Baker (OF), Jacob Burke (OF), Mario Camilletti (INF), Juan Gonzalez (Catcher), Adam Hackenberg (Catcher), Arxy Hernandez (INF), Wes Kath (3B), Drake Logan (OF), Wilber Sanchez (SS), Jordan Sprinkle (SS), Michael Turner (Catcher), Samuel Zavala (OF)
It’s unlikely that any of these players will be poached in the Rule Five Draft. Eric Adler and Adisyn Coffey profile as right-handed relievers and while they could potentially pitch in the majors, other clubs are littered with similar pitching prospects already. Jared Kelley and Andrew Dalquist were high school picks with some upside who have stalled out recently. Mark McLaughlin had a very solid season in the minors this past year while Connor McCullough and Drew McDaniel are at different stages of Tommy John rehab.
At one time, it appeared that outfielder Dru Baker and catcher Adam Hackenberg may have some big league utility as well but they’ve fizzled in the upper minors and aren’t likely to stick on a big league roster. Jordan Sprinkle could could be a potential stolen base threat at some point. 21-year-old outfielder Samuel Zavala was coveted by the White Sox and ultimately acquired in the Dylan Cease trade. He struggled in his first full season in the organization but he bounced back in 2025. The left-handed hitting 6-1, 175 pounder posted a 122 wRC+ with nine homers and a 13.4% walk rate while repeating High-A last year.
Likely Outcomes for the White Sox
There aren’t many pressing issues for the White Sox this winter. General Manager Chris Getz doesn’t seem ready to spend at the top of the market while he’s still preaching growth and ascension from within in regards to young players that the organization very much believes in. The club will likely make some veteran additions in the bullpen and for the starting rotation but deals will be of the short-term variety. Trades will likely happen and outfielder Luis Robert Jr. remains a candidate to be moved prior to opening day.
The Rule Five Draft and MLB Draft Lottery will be tent pole events for the organization as the annual winter meetings take place in December. Tanner McDougal is a mortal lock to be added to the 40-man roster and he should compete for a spot on the big league club next spring. Peyton Pallette, Shane Murphy and Mason Adams could also be added to the 40-man roster in order to protect them from being selected in the Rule Five Draft. Nothing seems quite as certain as the addition of McDougal at this juncture, however.
