The White Sox made several roster moves this week that could have significant implications for the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.
On Tuesday, the team selected the contracts of right-handers Duncan Davitt and Tanner McDougal, while placing left-handed reliever Fraser Ellard on the Voluntary Retired List.
Tuesday night marked the deadline for teams to protect players from the Rule-5 Draft by adding them to the 40-man roster. By choosing to add Davitt and McDougal, the White Sox left six of their top-30 prospects unprotected.
Tanner McDougal
McDougal was an obvious choice to get added to the 40-man after a breakout minor league season, a sentiment that Getz echoed.
“Tanner had a tremendous year. He really put himself on the map as a top arm in the industry on the Minor League side,” Getz told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. “That was an automatic for us. We feel like he can be an impactful arm for us at the Major League level in 2026.”
The 22-year-old began the year at High-A Winston-Salem, posting a 3.28 ERA with 73 strikeouts in 57.2 innings before earning a promotion to Double-A Birmingham. He was even better with the Barons, recording a 3.23 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts over 55.2 innings in 15 starts.
He also shined in the postseason, throwing four scoreless innings with six strikeouts in a must-win Game 2 of the Southern League Finals.
After struggling with control issues, McDougal made significant progress this year, cutting his walk rate from over five per nine innings to 3.89. With an upper-90s fastball that can touch 100 mph and a high-spin curveball that ranks as his best pitch, he has the raw stuff to impact a big-league staff once he refines his command.
Duncan Davitt
Davitt was recently acquired in a trade with the Rays that sent Adrian Houser to Tampa Bay. With several options to consider for Rule 5 protection, the White Sox’s decision to add him so soon after the deal suggests they want to give him a longer look.
The 26-year-old was the Rays’ 18th-round pick in 2022. He reached Triple-A last season and posted a 4.38 ERA with 150 strikeouts and a 1.21 WHIP over 152 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.
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.
Prospects Left Unprotected
Davitt wasn’t ranked among the White Sox’ top 30 prospects, yet he was added to the 40-man roster ahead of six prospects who were.
This includes:
Mason Adams, RHP (No. 13)
Peyton Pallette, RHP (No. 14)
Juan Carela, RHP (No. 24)
Aldrin Batista, RHP (No. 26)
Samuel Zavala, OF (No. 28)
Tyler Schweitzer, LHP (No. 29)
Adams was one of the more surprising omissions after posting a 2.92 ERA over 120.1 minor league innings. Pallette could also draw interest from other teams, holding Double- and Triple-A hitters to a .191 average last season.
Carela reached Double-A in 2024, finishing with a 7–7 record and a 3.58 ERA across 32.2 innings for Birmingham.
Zavala — acquired in the Dylan Cease trade — showed progress at High-A Winston-Salem, hitting .254 with nine home runs and 51 RBIs.
Schwitzer opened the year strong, logging a 1.27 ERA and holding opponents to a .183 average in his first 12 games at Double-A. But after a promotion to Triple-A, the left-hander struggled, posting a 7.92 ERA in 15 starts.
