2024 Chicago White Sox Rule 5 Draft Preview
Baseball’s annual winter meetings will take place in Dallas, Texas from December 9-12. The Rule 5 Draft will occur on Wednesday, December 11 at 12:00 pm central and many executives will hang around until its conclusion. The event will be streamed live on MLB.com.
It’s not a stellar free agent class overall but Juan Soto is expected to choose from a group of big money, east coast clubs and sign one of the largest contracts in the history of the sport. A host of premium starting pitchers are likely to sign as well with Blake Snell already committing to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The meetings are expected to be active and the Chicago White Sox should be mentioned in trade talks throughout the winter.
The third annual MLB Draft Lottery will take place on Tuesday, December 10. The 18 clubs who didn’t make the postseason all have a shot at the #1 overall pick with the exception of the Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics due to competitive balance rules. The Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels have the best odds to secure the top pick in the 2025 Draft.
The White Sox can’t pick higher than 10th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft next July but they will have the first overall selection in the Rule 5 Draft this December after finishing with a league worst 41-121 record in 2024. The Rule 4 Draft remains the most significant way for clubs to procure young talent for their organizations but players can still be found occasionally within this wacky Rule 5 system.
As I’ve written about previously, any players currently under contract with a club who were initially signed before the end of the 2020 MiLB season and were 18 and under at the time of signing are eligible for the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft if they are not currently on a 40-man roster. Any players who were 19 or older who signed initially before the end of the 2021 MiLB season are eligible if they are not currently on a 40-man roster. College players drafted in 2021 are eligible while prep players and international signings from 2020 will be as well.
A team must have an open 40-man roster spot to select a player in the major league phase of the Rule Five Draft. The selecting team pays $100,000 to take a player. That player cannot be optioned to the minors during the entirety of the 2024 season and the player must spend at least 90 days on the active big league roster (days on the injured or suspended list do not count toward the 90-day limit). The White Sox current 40-man roster is at 37 players. They will own the 1st overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft.
Who Could the White Sox Lose?
The White Sox protected shortstop Colson Montgomery and right-handed starter Juan Carela and added them both to the club’s 40-man roster. These were pretty obvious and generally expected moves but the franchise left some interesting prospects unprotected as well. Even as a high school draftee in 2021, Montgomery was eligible because he was 19-years-old on draft day. He should debut in the big leagues this year. Carela is a top 30 prospect in the system who was acquired from the New York Yankees at the 2023 trade deadline.
Lefty reliever Trey McGough, righty reliever Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa and outfielder Wilfred Veras were left unprotected and eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft. It would be a surprise if the White Sox had these players plucked at this point but stranger things have happened. AHT was a former Texas Rangers’ farmhand who was acquired by the White Sox last May. The 24-year-old projects as a potential setup man but he had an uneven season in 2024. The 6-2, 190 pounder struggled in Triple-A after posting a 3.24 ERA in 25 innings with the Birmingham Barons. He also threw nine innings in the Arizona Fall League as well.
McGough is a 26-year-old southpaw who also projects as a reliever. The lefty posted a 1.98 ERA in 27.1 innings with Charlotte in Triple-A. McGough struck out 33 hitters and walked eight. Veras is a 21-year-old slugger with some defensive questions. The Dominican has hit 57 minor league homers and he posted a 118 wRC+ with the Barons last year. There are plenty of other White Sox prospects available and eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft but it doesn’t seem likely that the organization will lose any players this year.
Who Could the White Sox Add?
The White Sox selected southpaw Shane Drohan out of the Boston Red Sox’s organization in last year’s Rule 5 Draft. The front office relied on the experience of senior advisor to pitching Brian Bannister to find someone of familiarity. Drohan injured his shoulder in spring training, never pitched for the Pale Hose and was ultimately returned to the Boston organization. Prior to selecting Drohan, the organization leaned on pitching coach Ethan Katz to select San Francisco Giants’ reliever Nick Avila in 2023. The righty didn’t make the team out of spring training and was also returned to his original club.
The White Sox haven’t had much success in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft since plucking right hander Dylan Covey back in 2017. The organization has had some success in the minor league phase of the draft in recent years. 32-year-old free agent catcher Omar Narváez has had a notable career so far and he was originally snagged by the White Sox before being dealt to the Mariners in exchange for righty Alex Colome. Yermin Mercedes had a memorable 29 game run with the White Sox in 2021 and while it didn’t last, Chicago wasn’t the expectation when the pick was made.
It’s generally easier to grab pitching in the Rule 5 Draft. It can often be difficult for fringe roster players to land on contending rosters, let alone stay on them for an entire season. The White Sox lost 121 games last year however and they can likely carry anyone within reason as long as the decision makers see some potential for long-term upside. The 40-man roster is at 37 currently and more space could be opened if necessary. The club could be open to adding more depth on the position player front, in the starting rotation or as a member of the bullpen. The White Sox could make a selection in either area and here are some potential options:
Christian Franklin, outfielder, Chicago Cubs
Franklin was originally a 4th round pick of the Cubs out of Arkansas in 2021. The 5-9, 195 pounder can play center field and could easily handle both corners as well. The 25-year-old possesses contact skills, on base ability and raw power and he has upper minors experience in doing so. The right-handed hitter makes good swing decisions as well and he has displayed 90th percentile exit velocities. Franklin is also a plus runner with stolen base ability and he posted a 135 wRC+ in 98 games with Double-A Tennessee last season. He only hit five homers however. The White Sox could take anyone in this draft but there’s not a clear big league role for Franklin on the south side.
Bryan Magdaleno, LHP, Texas Rangers
This Dominican southpaw has a ton of upside. The 23-year-old threw 42.2 innings last year across three levels but struck out 68 hitters. The 6-1, 200 pounder displays high 90’s heat on the fastball with a sweeper slider and a sinker as well. Magdaleno misses lots of bats, gets lots of ground balls and he’s very deceptive on the mound. It’s a reliever profile but he throws from the low slot that the White Sox have targeted recently. He fits the profile of what Brian Bannister has targeted since joining the organization and Magdaleno seems like a definite option for the #1 overall pick.
Griff McGarry, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
McGarry might have more explosive stuff than anyone available in the Rule Five Draft but he also has the worst command. He’s been injured quite a bit as well. The former 5th rounder out of Virginia is a top 30 prospect in the Phillies’ system but he was left exposed at the deadline. The 6-2, 190 pounder was solid in the Arizona Fall League with a combination of a plus fastball and slider. McGarry runs his fastball up to 99 mph regularly with a mid 80’s slider that is a true “out pitch” as well. In 30.2 innings in Triple-A last year, the righty posted a 4.70 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 36 walks. McGarry has a career walk rate of 6.1/9 IP in his minor league career. If the White Sox believe that they can harness something in regards to command, he could be a potential option with his premium stuff.
Alex Pham, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Throwing as a reliever only at the University of San Francisco, the Baltimore Orioles selected him in the 19th round back in 2021 and kept him in the same role. The 5-11, 165 pounder converted to a starting role last summer and he now ranks as a top 30 prospect in the Baltimore system. The 25-year-old posted a 2.57 ERA in 112 innings last season and finished the year in Double-A with Bowie. Pham made 27 starts but he doesn’t throw that hard. His fastball comes at 92-94 mph and touches 96 mph but it’s deceptive from a “low slot angle” and it’s hoppy. Pham has also shown numerous secondary offerings with a plus slider. He could slide into the back of a starting rotation or even move back to relief where his stuff should play up.
Bob Seymour, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays
The White Sox recently non-tendered Gavin Sheets and there could be some options to replace him in the Rule 5 Draft. Former Mount Carmel standout Bob Seymour could be one of those options. The 26-year-old was taken in the 13th round of the 2021 draft out of Wake Forest. He’s a first base only but he hits left-handed and he generally understands the assignment. The slugger hit 28 homers across AA and AAA this past season and he posted a 140 wRC+ in Triple-A. Seymour slashed .269/.353/.601 but he did strike out 35% of the time. I don’t know if the Sox would use this pick on a first baseman at this juncture but he could provide cheap power, which is something they don’t currently have in the big leagues.
Shane Smith, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Smith could be the early favorite to be the #1 pick in the Rule 5 Draft and the White Sox just so happen to own that selection. The 6-4, 235 pounder signed with the Milwaukee Brewers as an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest in 2021 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 24-year-old made 16 starts in Double-A this past season and posted a 3.08 ERA with a 2.88 FIP in 87.1 innings. Smith struck out 106 hitters and walked just 26. He made five appearances in Triple-A as well. The righty possesses a fastball that sits 92-96 mph and touches 98 with an average curveball and slider in the mix as well. Smith has experience starting and relieving and his stuff could really pop in a relief role. This is the type of profile that typically goes early in the Rule 5 Draft.
AJ Vukovich, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
The White Sox’s amateur scouting department is really familiar with Vukovich as they followed him heavily as a Wisconsin prep. The Diamondbacks took him in the 4th round back in 2021. He’s a corner profile but he’s on this list due to Josh Barfield’s familiarity with him and new director of hitting Ryan Fuller could be interested in a guy who makes proper swing decisions consistently. The right-handed hitter slashed .270/.342/.458 with 17 homers in Double-A last season and he played a few games in Triple-A to end the year. It’s probably too many strikeouts to stick in the majors ultimately but as a Midwest guy, he’s a notable possibility.
Ryan Ward, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Ward is another option as a potential replacement for Gavin Sheets’ roster spot and the White Sox likely know him well from his team at Camelback Ranch. The left-handed slugger only posted a 103 wRC+ in Triple-A last season but the counting stats carry some weight. Ward strikes out way too much and his exit velocities are lacking as well but he has hit 114 minor league homers in total with 34 last season. The 26-year-old has played some in the outfield as well. The 5-10, 200 pounder played 120 games in Triple-A last year as well. He was an 8th round draft pick out of Bryant University back in 2019.
Ryan Webb, LHP, Cleveland Guardians
Ryan Webb is probably a lock to be taken in this year’s Rule 5 Draft and he could fit similarly to Mitch Spence from last season. The 25-year-old southpaw posted a 2.60 ERA in Triple-A last season over the course of 34.2 innings. He threw 106 innings in Double-A prior to that and he projects as a back end starter or reliever. The Guardians selected Webb in the 4th round of the 2021 amateur draft after the lefty had his solid season derailed by Tommy John surgery. The 6-1, 202 pounder throws a low 90’s fastball with three secondaries and he has plus command as well. The White Sox could theoretically use Webb in a relief or starting role.
Logan Workman, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
The 6-4, 215 pounder was a 7th round pick out of Lee University in 2021. Workman threw 146 innings last year with a four pitch mix and he commands all four of the pitches. The 25-year-old can likely handle a starter’s workload but he’s easy to stash in a big league bullpen as well potentially. The righty posted a 2.71 ERA in 123 innings in Double-A in 2024 before finishing in Durham with the Bulls. Workman compiled 138 strikeouts across both innings. He could fit into the White Sox’s pitching plans in some capacity.
