MLB’s annual roster-protection deadline has now come and gone, and the Chicago White Sox made a light set of moves as they prepare for the Rule 5 Draft on December 10. Thirty-two players in the organization
were eligible for selection this year, including seven members of the club’s Top 30 prospects: RHP Tanner McDougal (No. 7), RHP Mason Adams (No. 13), RHP Peyton Pallette (No. 14), RHP Juan Carela (No. 24), RHP Aldrin Batista (No. 26), OF Samuel Zavala (No. 28), and LHP Tyler Schweitzer (No. 29).
In the end, the only two players the White Sox chose to protect were McDougal and RHP Duncan Davitt by adding both to the 40-man roster. With those additions, the Sox now sit at 36 players on the 40-man, leaving four open spots as they approach a Rule 5 Draft in which they hold the second overall pick and any potential free agent additions still to come.
McDougal, No-brainer addition
Adding McDougal was a formality. The 22-year-old was one of the system’s best young arms in 2025, and leaving a Top-10 prospect unprotected with that level of upside would have been unthinkable. His inclusion reflects both his talent and the organization’s belief in his near-term trajectory. McDougal had an impressive 3.26 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across a split season in Winston-Salem and Birmingham.
Davitt, the suprise protect
The more unexpected move was the selection of Davitt, a 26-year-old righthander who does not appear on the team’s Top 30 list. A former 18th-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022, Davitt arrived at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Adrian Houser to Tampa Bay.
His year was split across multiple levels:
- With Double-A Montgomery (Rays): 5–3, 3.55 ERA, 1.08 WHIP
- With Triple-A Durham (Rays): 0–2, 6.30 ERA, 1.55 WHIP
- With Triple-A Charlotte (White Sox): 2–3, 5.03 ERA, 1.30 WHIP in 48 1/3 innings across nine starts
Davitt’s pitch mix may have helped him stand out internally. He works from a fastball that sits in the low-90s, and he complements it with a broad array of secondaries, including a pair of breaking balls, a changeup, and a cutter. Even without a prospect-list pedigree, versatility and durability clearly made Chicago want to safeguard him from external selection.
Fraser Ellard announces retirement
Alongside their roster decisions, the White Sox also shared that Ellard has retired. Drafted in the eighth round in 2021, the southpaw’s 2025 season was derailed by injuries: a right hamstring strain in April, followed by a left lat strain in May that ultimately placed him on the 60-day IL.
Looking ahead to December 10
Under MLB rules, teams had to finalize their 40-man rosters before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline. Any unprotected eligible player may be taken in the Rule 5 Draft for $100,000, with a requirement that the selecting club keep the player on its 26-man roster for the full season or else offer him back for $50,000.
Though the Rule 5 Draft doesn’t always produce immediate major-league impact, the White Sox are fresh off a banner year in that department. Last winter, they struck gold with the No. 1 pick, landing All-Star Shane Smith, and later added Mike Vasil, who also proved his worth, ending the season with a 2.9 bWAR.
Armed with the second overall pick and some strategically preserved roster space, Chicago will again have the opportunity to be aggressive. Their minimal protection slate suggests confidence in their internal evaluations and perhaps a plan to look outside the organization on December 10.
