With less than two weeks until Opening Day, it is crunch time for those fighting for spots on the White Sox roster to prove that they are worthy of making the team. Right-handed pitchers Jedixson Paez and Alexander Alberto fall into this category. As both are Rule 5 players, the White Sox front office faces a difficult decision: put them on the Opening Day roster or risk losing them entirely.

Shane Smith, the first overall pick in the 2024 Rule 5 draft, proved without a shadow of a doubt that he deserved to make the team out of spring training and ultimately had one of the better rookie seasons by a Rule 5 pick in recent memory. That has not been the case for either Paez or Alberto. Paez, 22, has a 10.13 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP in 5.1 innings this spring, while Alberto, 24, has a 9.53 ERA and a 2.29 WHIP in 5.2 innings. The sample sizes for each are small, but it’s also fair to say neither has made the most of their opportunities to this point.

White Sox Crowded Bullpen

Further complicating matters is the White Sox bullpen picture. Unlike the past several years where there were multiple bullpen spots up for grabs in spring training, that is no longer the case. Seranthony Domínguez, Grant Taylor, Jordan Leasure, Mike Vasil, Sean Newcomb, and Jordan Hicks are all locks to make the team.

With six spots already accounted for, that leaves two bullpen spots at most up for grabs, one of which will likely go to Chris Murphy, Ryan Borucki, Tyler Gilbert, or Brandon Eisert as the second lefty behind Newcomb. Paez and Alberto are competing for the last bullpen spot alongside veterans Tyson Miller, Austin Voth, and Lucas Sims. Barring injuries, it feels highly unlikely that the team will be able to carry both Rule 5 pitchers on the roster. They might not even carry one.

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Inexperience is a Factor

Roster construction aside, both Paez and Alberto have vastly different circumstances and backgrounds than Shane Smith and Mike Vasil did at this time last year. Paez, a command-oriented starting pitcher without an overpowering fastball, and Alberto, a hard-throwing reliever, each have never pitched above the High-A level. By comparison, Smith and Vasil each had already reached Triple-A before joining the White Sox organization as Rule 5 picks. Paez and Alberto’s inexperience could work against them in this situation considering the team is no longer deep in a rebuild and is at least attempting to win games this season.

Big Decision Looms

The Rule 5 Draft rules state that if Paez and Alberto don’t make the Opening Day roster, they must be placed on outright waivers. If neither is claimed, the White Sox would have to offer them back to their original teams for $50,000: the Red Sox for Paez and the Rays for Alberto. The reality is that if they don’t make the team, they likely will no longer be in the organization after spring training. The White Sox clearly saw something they liked in each of these pitchers to select them in the Rule 5 draft, and each is currently on the organization’s top 30 prospect list per MLB.com. Losing them wouldn’t be inconsequential. It will be interesting to see how Chris Getz and the rest of the front office approaches this situation with Opening Day rapidly approaching.