Minor League Baseball

Chicago White Sox' Rule-5 Draft Selection Shares Emotional Phone Call After Making Roster

Shane Smith, selected in the Rule-5 Draft this winter, has made the Chicago White Sox' Opening Day roster.
Brady Farkas|
Chicago White Sox pitcher Shane Smith (64) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Camelback Ranch-Glendale on March 8.
Chicago White Sox pitcher Shane Smith (64) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Camelback Ranch-Glendale on March 8. | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago White Sox

After being selected in the Rule-5 Draft this winter, Chicago White Sox' pitcher Shane Smith has made the Opening Day roster.

The White Sox posted the video of an emotional phone call that he had with his parents to commemorate the occasion. They also posted the moment that he got the news from first-year manager Will Venable.

Both are posted below:

The 24-year-old Smith played his college ball at Wake Forest and then was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers. He reached as high as Triple-A, going 13-7 in the minors over three seasons. He has a 2.69 ERA in the minor leagues, making 19 starts and earning 11 saves.

Smith went 1-1 in spring training, pitching to a 5.40 ERA in 6.2 innings. He started three games. The White Sox now have pressure to leave Smith on the roster all year or risk losing him.

Per MLB.com:

Not every club will make a selection, but those that do pick a player must pay $100,000 to the club from which said player was selected. Rule 5 Draft picks are assigned directly to the drafting club's 26-man roster and must be placed on outright waivers in order to be removed from the 26-man roster in the subsequent season. Should the player clear waivers, he must be offered back to his previous team for $50,000 and can be outrighted to the Minors only if his original club does not wish to reacquire him. A Rule 5 Draft pick can be placed on the Major League injured list, but he must be active for a minimum of 90 days to avoid being subject to the aforementioned roster restrictions in the next campaign.

The White Sox will open up the regular season on March 27 at home against the Chicago White Sox.

Related MiLB Stories

RING SZN: The Mariners' Double-A affiliate won the Southern League last year. This weekend, the M's players on the Arkansas Travelers were honored with their rings. CLICK HERE:

KIMBREL TIME: Potential Hall of Famer Craig Kimbrel is continuing his career with the Atlanta Braves, where it all began. CLICK HERE:

ANOTHER ROY?: Bubba Chandler has been listed as a possible Rookie of the Year winner in the National League. Could he follow the footsteps of Paul Skenes? CLICK HERE:

Published | Modified
Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

Home/NEWS