White Sox latest roster move, Guardians success emphasize Rule 5 draft failure

Less than a week into the 2026 MLB season, the White Sox have already acknowledged a failed experiment and parted ways with Rule 5 pick Jedixson Paez. Paez, 22, somewhat surprisingly made the White Sox Opening Day roster after being selected with the second overall pick in the Rule 5 draft back in December. The injury to Mike Vasil opened an opportunity for a multi-inning option from the right side, and Paez got the first crack at it. Unfortunately, Paez allowed six earned runs over his first three big league innings and looked overmatched against major league hitters. 

The White Sox decision to take Paez and lose Pallette looks like a massive failure

It was always an interesting decision to take Paez, who had never pitched above the High-A level before joining the White Sox, while leaving former second-round pick Peyton Pallette unprotected. Pallette was selected by the Guardians and named to their Opening Day roster after a strong spring. He’s appeared in two games for the Guardians so far, allowing one earned run in 3.2 innings and striking out three. His fastball has sat around 97 and his offspeed pitches have looked sharp. Meanwhile, both Jedixson Paez and Alexander Alberto are now out of the White Sox organization less than a week into the season, leaving Sox fans to wonder about the decision-making that went into the Rule 5 draft. 

I had no problem with the White Sox making a pick in the Rule 5 draft, especially after the team found success last season with Shane Smith and Mike Vasil. The picks, however, were curious at best. Neither Paez nor Alberto had pitched even at the Double-A level in their careers. While Alberto brought plus stuff that looked like it could play in a late-inning relief role, Paez didn’t have a traditional reliever’s profile. His fastball rarely reached 93 MPH and his main asset was his elite control- which didn’t show up during his rough spring or his big league sample. Paez threw just 19 innings last season due to injury, so he’d be going from barely pitching at High-A to the big leagues. Seems like an unrealistic jump. 

Hindsight, of course, is always 20/20, and it’s a lot easier to evaluate the situation knowing the outcome, but it sure seems like giving Pallette, who had proven late-inning experience in Triple-A, a shot would’ve been a more ideal process. I’m not suggesting the White Sox pass on the Rule 5 draft either. The team protected Tanner McDougal and Duncan Davitt and had plenty of roster spots to protect Pallette and also make a Rule 5 pick. Several other teams are carrying Rule 5 picks on their roster and there was a large crop of talent to choose from. 

It just feels like a reckless decision by the White Sox that has backfired early. Obviously, every team has instances of bad decision-making, but these are the kind of mistakes the White Sox are hoping to avoid as they build what they hope is a contending team.

The White Sox will hope that Lucas Sims can provide some much-needed bullpen stability and help the team recover from its brutal start.