One of the White Sox top right-handed pitching prospects is heading to a divison rival. On Wednesday, the Cleveland Guardians used the ninth pick in the Rule 5 Draft to poach Peyton Pallette from the White Sox.
MLB Pipeline had Pallette ranked as the White Sox 14th-ranked prospect, and was coming off a solid season in the minor leagues that saw him post a 3.41 ERA in 21 Double-A innings before getting promoted to Triple-A. In Triple-A Charlotte, Pallette continued to impress, limiting opponents to a .204 batting average and racking up 54 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.
Given Cleveland’s strong track record of developing pitchers, Pallette has a chance to take an even bigger leap and could soon turn into a dynamic weapon out of the bullpen.
The fact that he was left unprotected on the White Sox 40-man roster came as a surprise to many. He can touch 98 mph with his fastball, and his curveball, which sits in the low 80s, features sharp break and a strong spin rate. After struggling with control early in his career, Pallette began to find his stride after getting moved to the bullpen midway through the 2024 season. Last year, he made 52 appearances out of the bullpen and recorded 11 saves.
The White Sox opted instead to protect Tanner McDougal and Duncan Davitt. While McDougal was an obvious choice to get added to the 40-man after a breakout minor league season, adding Davitt over six of the team's top 30 prospects who were Rule 5 eligible turned some heads.
Given that Davitt was recently acquired in a trade with the Rays that sent Adrian Houser to Tampa Bay, the White Sox likely felt the need to give the 26-year-old a longer look.
In four minor league seasons, he owns a 4.32 ERA, with an impressive 25.1% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate. His ability to draw swings and misses is what makes him an intriguing arm in the White Sox farm system. Last season, he punched out nearly 24% of the batters he faced while also boosting an impressive 43% ground ball rate.
While losing Pallette to a division rival stings, the White Sox managed to land an intriguing replacement with the No. 2 pick in the Rule 5 Draft, selecting right-hander Jedixson Paez from the Boston Red Sox. Unlike Pallette, Paez does not throw hard but possesses excellent control, with a walk rate that ranked third in the minor leagues in 2024.
While he could still be used as a back-end starter, many scouts have Paez pegged as a reliever long term.
