White Sox Select Three Pitchers In Rule 5 Draft, Lose One Pitching Prospect

The 2025 Rule 5 Draft took place Wednesday afternoon in Orlando, Fla. as part of the MLB Winter Meetings, and it ended with four White Sox transactions. In this draft, teams are allowed to select players from other organizations who were not on the 40-man roster.

During the Major League Phase, the White Sox selected right-handed pitcher Jedixson Paez No. 2 overall from the Boston Red Sox and right-handed pitcher Alexander Alberto No. 13 overall from the Tampa Bay Rays. But with the No. 9 pick, former White Sox pitching prospect Peyton Pallette was taken by the Cleveland Guardians.

Teams pay $100,000 to select a player in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. If that player does not remain on the active 26-man MLB roster for the full season, he is offered back to his former team for $50,000.

In the Minor League Phase, the White Sox took right-handed pitcher Jackson Kelley from the Texas Rangers with the No. 2 pick. No White Sox prospects were selected by other organizations during this phase. Costs rise from $12,000 to $24,000 for a Triple-A pick in the Minor League Phase, though these selections are not subject to roster restrictions with their new organizations.

The Rule 5 Draft is typically not a consistent source of immediate impact players at the Major League level, but it was a huge positive for the White Sox last season.

The team landed All-Star pitcher Shane Smith with the No. 1 overall pick, and he was the first player since Dan Uggla in 2006 to become an All-Star the first year after their Rule 5 selection. The White Sox also claimed Mike Vasil –– a Rule 5 pick by Philadelphia –– off waivers from the Tampa Bay, and he finished second among White Sox pitchers with 2.9 bWAR in 2025.

Here's a closer look at the two White Sox selections and one player the team lost in Wednesday's 2025 Rule 5 Draft.

Jedixson Paez

Jedixson Paez, 21, is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound right-handed pitcher who had been in the Boston Red Sox minor league system since signing as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2021. He has primarily been used as a starting pitcher, though he has not surpassed 96.2 innings in any single season, in part due to injuries.

He spent the 2025 season with the High-A Greenville Drive, where he logged 19.1 innings across seven starts but missed all of May, June and July due to injury. When healthy, he gave up six earned runs and 18 hits while striking out 23 batters and walking just three.

Paez has had a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio over the course of his career, striking out 307 batters compared to just 49 walks in 307.2 innings. That comes out to a 1.07 career WHIP, and it has translated to solid run prevention with a 3.17 ERA in 96.2 innings in 2024 and a 3.31 ERA in 84.1 innings during the 2023 season.

He throws a fastball, changeup, slider and cutter, according to FanGraphs, which gave his changeup a 55-grade on a 60-grade scale. Prior to the Rule 5 Draft, Paez was ranked No. 19 among Red Sox prospects and No. 11 among the team's pitching prospects by MLB.com

Alexander Alberto

In the 2nd round of the Major League Phase of the 2025 Rule 5 Draft, the Chicago White Sox select Alexander Alberto. pic.twitter.com/0pDXBoYb1e
— Milb Central (@milb_central) December 10, 2025

Alexander Alberto –– not to be confused with White Sox infield prospect Alexander Albertus –– is a 6-foot-8, 203-pound right-handed pitcher. The 24-year-old has been with the Tampa Bay Rays minor league system since signing as an international free agent in 2021. He was not ranked within the Rays top 30 prospects by MLB.com.

Alberto has started 15 career games, though he has mostly been used as a relief pitcher. With 42 appearances out of the bullpen at High-A and Single-A in 2025, he posted a 2.59 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP with 64 strikeouts and 21 walks. Alberto was named Rays minor league reliever of the year in 2025.

Perhaps the most surprising and intriguing statistic of Alberto's is that he's given up just two home runs in 172.1 career innings since 2021. His 104 career walks are an area of improvement, but that's offset by some degree with 194 strikeouts. FanGraphs gives his fastball a 60/60 grade.

Jackson Kelley

Jackson Kelley shut the door last night for @HickoryCrawdads with a 5 K, 6 out save!

The RHP has tossed 3 straight scoreless appearances with 11 K over 5.1 IP in June. pic.twitter.com/R5JETSvp33
— Rangers Player Development (@TEXPlayerDev) June 15, 2023

Kelley, 25, is a 6-foot, 185-pound right-handed pitcher who had been in the Texas Rangers organization since 2023. He was a 12th round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft by the Rangers out of Mercer University.

Kelley throws with a submarine delivery and has been a reliever for all but one of his 103 appearances in the minor leagues. Spending time in Rookie Ball and Double-A in 2025, he posted a 2.10 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP with 32 strikeouts and 17 walks in 34.1 innings. He did not pitch until mid-June of the 2025 season due to injury.

He has saved nine games throughout his minor league career and eight during college, showing some potential to be a high-leverage reliever. Kelley has 190 strikeouts in 150.1 career innings and recorded a 0.95 WHIP in 2024 at High-A and Double-A. He was not ranked among the Rangers' top-30 prospects by MLB.com.

Peyton Pallette

The White Sox opted not to protect Pallette by putting him on the 40-man roster, and he wound up being the only player the team lost during the Rule 5 Draft. He was ranked No. 14 among White Sox prospects and No. 6 among the team's pitching prospects by MLB.com

Pallette, 24, is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound right-handed pitcher who the White Sox selected in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Arkansas. As a reliever at the Double-A and Triple-A level in 2025, he recorded a 4.06 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP with 86 strikeouts and 28 walks in 64.1 innings.

Now with the Cleveland Guardians, Pallette could very fell face the White Sox in 2026. But if he does not remain on the Guardians' active 26-man MLB roster for the full season, he'll be offered back to the White Sox for $50,000.

Jedixson Paez

Alexander Alberto

Jackson Kelley

Peyton Pallette

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