It’s safe to say the 2026 Rule 5 draft didn’t go quite as well for the White Sox as it did in 2025. The team added right-handers Shane Smith and Mike Vasil in the Rule 5 draft, both of whom contributed heavily to the team’s improvement in 2025. This year, the White Sox gambled on two less polished arms in Jedixson Paez and Alexander Alberto, and also lost right-hander Peyton Pallette to the division-rival Guardians. Neither Paez nor Alberto worked out in Chicago, but the White Sox did receive a bit of positive news this weekend, as Pallette will be heading back to the South Side.
After earning a spot on the Guardians Opening Day roster, Pallette’s first big league stint was a mixed bag. On one hand, opponents hit just .218 against him and his stuff looked strong. On the other, his 16.5% walk rate was among the worst in baseball. Overall, Pallette posted a 5.23 ERA in 20.2 innings before being designated for assignment. He cleared waivers and was offered back to the White Sox, who have chosen to add him to their Triple-A roster.
Cleveland has returned RHP Peyton Pallette to the White Sox. Pallette has been assigned to Class AAA Charlotte.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 31, 2026
Peyton Pallette's White Sox debut is long overdue
A former second-round pick in 2022, Pallette began his minor league career as a starter. Viewed as a first-round talent that dropped to the second round while recovering from Tommy John surgery, the White Sox were cautious with Pallette, and he didn’t debut until 2023, where he posted a 4.13 ERA in 72 innings with Low-A Kannapolis. After struggling to begin the 2024 season, Pallette shifted to a bullpen role and dominated between Winston-Salem and Birmingham, putting him on the big league radar for 2025. While he didn’t get his debut during the 2025 season, Pallette still held a solid 4.36 ERA in a hitter-friendly environment in Charlotte, and he seemed to be in the mix for a bullpen spot entering 2026. Instead, the White Sox left him unprotected in Rule 5 and lost him to the Guardians.
Now that he’s returned to the organization, it’ll be interesting to see where the White Sox envision Pallette fitting in. He’ll be optioned to Triple-A for the time being, but right-hander Trevor Richards has struggled since being acquired in a trade with the Phillies and the team currently deploys four lefties in the pen. It seems like there could be an opportunity for Pallette to make an impact on the big league bullpen.
With 86 strikeouts in 64.1 innings last season, Pallette still has the stuff that made him the White Sox second-round pick just a few years ago. He’ll need to harness the control, however, if he wants to make it work in the big leagues. The 25 year-old’s talent is undeniable, but the responsibility is now on the White Sox to take advantage of the gift of getting a talented pitcher back in their organization. We'll see if Brian Bannister and Zach Bove can make it work.
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