White Sox cut bait on curious Rule 5 draft pick with clear-cut decision

The White Sox had an unprecedented amount of success in the Rule 5 draft in 2025. Right-hander Shane Smith, who the team took with the first overall pick from Milwaukee, went on to become the second player ever to make the All-Star team in his rookie year as a Rule 5 pick. Mike Vasil, another Rule 5 pick, was an integral part of the White Sox pitching staff after being claimed on waivers just before the season began. This season, White Sox camp features a lot more competition, and it forced the White Sox to already cut ties with one of their two Rule 5 picks.

The White Sox took RHP Alexander Alberto in the second round of the Rule 5 draft, landing the 24 year-old flamethrower a chance to break camp with the team. Despite his age and electric fastball, Alberto had never pitched above High-A with the Rays organization, so the big leagues would be quite a jump. Still, Alberto’s triple-digit fastball and lethal slider gave him the arsenal of a late-inning reliever, and the White Sox felt it would play against high level hitters. Alberto joined fellow Rule 5 pick Jedixson Paez in big league camp with the White Sox knowing keeping both probably wasn’t an option. 

Alberto's big arm never lived up to the hype this spring

Unfortunately, it was tough sledding for Alberto this spring. In seven appearances, he allowed eight earned runs, twelve hits, and four walks. His fastball sat around 97 instead of the 99-100 he’s shown in the past, and he didn’t locate effectively. With an improved bullpen and other arms having a strong spring, the White Sox simply couldn’t afford to save a spot for Alberto on their roster. Now, he’ll head to waivers, where the other 29 teams will have a chance to claim him. Any team that claims Alberto will be subject to the same Rule 5 rules the White Sox were under and would have to keep him on their roster for the full season. If Alberto clears waivers, the White Sox will offer him back to the Rays, who can either take Alberto back or keep the cash they received for losing him in the Rule 5 draft. 

The White Sox still have a few roster questions to answer with a little over a week until the season begins. Alberto was one of several roster cuts on Monday, with Oliver Dunn, Dru Baker, William Bergolla, Dustin Harris, Tyson Miller, and Hagen Smith also being reassigned to minor league camp. The White Sox have 42 players remaining in camp and will need to cut that number down to 26 before next Thursday. 

As far as what this means for the bullpen: it could be an indication that Jedixson Paez, the team’s other Rule 5 pick, has a good chance at breaking camp with the team. Mike Vasil’s injury has potentially opened the door for another right-handed multi-inning relief option, and the White Sox may value the long term upside of the 22 year-old Paez enough to keep him in the organization. 

While the White Sox were never likely to replicate their Rule 5 success from a year ago, the team took a swing on an electric arm and came up empty. There’s still plenty of talent that’ll be heading from Arizona to Milwaukee next week for White Sox fans to watch.