The White Sox made their first roster moves of the offseason earlier this afternoon. Pitchers Elvis Peguero and Owen White, as well as outfielders Dominic Fletcher and Corey Julks, were all outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte. Outfielder Will Robertson was also claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 40-man roster now stands at 35.

This set of roster moves seems inconsequential on the surface. All five players removed from the 40-man are depth options at best and don’t figure to play a significant role for the team moving forward. But there is another component behind these moves: the upcoming Rule 5 Draft in December.

Rule 5 Implications

The organization has several prospects who must be added to the 40-man roster ahead of December’s Rule 5 Draft. Top pitching prospect Tanner McDougal leads this group. The 22-year-old right-hander has had a breakout season at the High-A and Double-A levels and now ranks as the #7 prospect in the White Sox organization, according to MLB.com. He is virtually a lock to be protected, as another team would likely pick him if left exposed.

McDougal isn’t the only player to likely be protected. Peyton Pallette, the #14 prospect in the organization, could also land a 40-man roster spot. Despite showing some inconsistency in the minors this past season, the 24-year-old right-hander struck out 54 in 43 Triple-A innings. He likely will be protected and given a chance to earn an Opening Day roster spot.

Other candidates to be protected include Mason Adams, a right-handed pitcher and the #13 prospect in the organization. He figured to get an opportunity this past season before going down to Tommy John surgery. Pitchers Shane Murphy, Aldrin Batista, Duncan Davitt, and Eric Adler also could warrant 40-man spots if the organization feels they would get plucked by another team.

Potential Acquisitions

While the Rule 5 draft is the likely motivation behind the team’s 40-man cleansing, clearing space for potential free agent and trade acquisitions could be part of the calculus. The team is unlikely to be highly active in free agency, given the impending lockout after the 2026 season. However, perhaps their strong finish to the season could motivate Jerry Reinsdorf to add some talent. The team has minimal payroll obligations moving forward except for Andrew Benintendi and possibly Luis Robert Jr.

Adding players in the Rule 5 is another possibility. After all, that is how the team landed Shane Smith and later Mike Vasil, who both became two of the most dependable pitchers on the staff in 2025.

Big Offseason Ahead

This winter will be an interesting offseason for Chris Getz and the rest of the White Sox front office. It is the first offseason in several years where the team is no longer deep in a rebuild and instead has some light at the end of the tunnel. Clearing roster spots on the 40-man is the first domino to fall.