The MLB offseason is progressing, as the deadline for teams to protect players from being selected in the Rule-5 draft was on November 18th. Certain players who were not added to their team's 40-man roster by that date can now be selected in the Rule-5 draft coming up in the next week.
White Sox fans should be familiar with this process, as they had a huge contribution from their selection Shane Smith this past season. They also got a huge boost from Mike Vasil, who was selected by another team in the Rule-5 draft, then traded to the White Sox. This was a huge year for the White Sox in terms of Rule-5 players, as anytime you can select acquire two players that can make a significant contribution for your team essentially for "free," it's a win.
This year, the White Sox added Tanner McDougal and Duncan Davitt to the 40-man roster to protect them from the draft. This was a smart move, as McDougal had a great year and the White Sox acquired Davitt from the Rays at the trade deadline.
However, they left six players unprotected. The players that are now eligible to be selected in the draft from the White Sox organization are Mason Adams, Peyton Pallette, Juan Carela, Aldrin Batista, Samuel Zavala, and Tyler Schweitzer. Let's take a look at how likely it is that they will be selected by another team in the Rule-5 draft.
Mason Adams
Adams is probably the most MLB ready prospect on this list. However, he is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery, which may deter a team from selecting him in the draft. When a players is selected in the draft, they need to be on the active roster for the whole season, or they risk losing the player back to their original team, or to another team on waivers.
It is unclear what Adams' timeline is for the season, but if he is going to miss the beginning of the season, that could certainly deter a team from selecting him. Adams is probably the most accomplished player on this list, so any team that selects him will be getting a good player, but with his injury, a team may not take that chance. I'd put the odds on him being selected around 40% which could greatly benefit the White Sox, as he will likely make an impact in Chicago this season if he is not selected.
Peyton Pallette
Pallette has had a resurgence since moving to the bullpen and has made his way through AA and AAA with some significant success. For some reason, the White Sox did not opt to protect him in this draft. Due to him playing in AAA last season showing elite strikeout numbers, I could see a team taking a chance on him in the draft and slotting him right into their bullpen.
Pallette could slot right into many major league bullpens, so there is a good chance a team selects him in this draft. I would put the odds at about 60% of him getting selected, which would be a big hit to the bullpen depth in the upper minors.
Juan Carela
Carela is in the same boat as Adams, as he missed the whole 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery. However, unlike Adams, Carela has not pitched much above High-A ball, as he just has 32 innings in AA. That could deter a team from selecting him, as he may not be quite MLB ready.
Carlela is very talented and is a top-30 prospect in the White Sox system. However, due to him just being 23 years old, coming off injury, and not playing much in the upper minors, those factors will likely deter a team from selecting him in the draft. I would give it a 15% chance of being selected by another team, which would be huge for the White Sox, as he will likely be a contributor in Chicago in the next few years.
Aldrin Batista
While Batista didn't miss the whole 2025 season, he only was able to pitch 14 innings due to injury. He also is just 22 years old and hasn't pitched above high-A. While he is very talented, he still has a bit of a way to go to become major league ready.
Because the jump from high-A ball to the majors would be likely too steep, I would put the chances that Batista is selected in the draft at about 5% which bodes will for the White Sox, as he is a top-30 prospect in the White Sox system.
Samuel Zavala
Similarly to Batista and Carela, Zavala is a top-30 prospect in the White Sox organization who hasn't made it very far in the minor leagues. In this case, Zavala is just 21 and has not made it past high-A.
While teams are likely very intrigued by Zavala's talent, I can't imagine a team would feel comfortable with him making the jump from high-A to the major leagues quite yet. I would put his chances of being selected at about 5% which is good for the White Sox, as he still has a very good chance of being an everyday player in Chicago.
Tyler Schweitzer
Schweitzer is one of the older players on this list, as he is 25. He has also made it to AAA, so teams would likely be more comfortable with him making the jump to the major leagues. Additionally, he had a very solid year last season as he had a 1.27 ERA over 50 innings in AA.
Schweitzer struggled a bit when he got to AAA, but he showed off his major league stuff. Since Schweitzer made it to AAA, I could see a team taking a chance on him, as starting pitching doesn't grow on trees. I would put the chances of him being selected by another team at about 55%
Each one of these players is very talented and most are on the White Sox top-30 prospects list. I could see a scenario where the White Sox lose some of them, which would be a blow to the depth in the minor leagues, as each could be a contributor in Chicago sooner rather than later. Hopefully Chicago is able to retain every player and keep the pitching depth in the upper minors.
