White Sox unsurprisingly waive Rule-5 Draft selection

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Tyler Koerth | Last updated Mar 17, 2026 3:28 PM ET

The Chicago White Sox had success in the year priors Rule-5 Draft, snagging now Opening Day starter Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers. This year, they made two selections in the Major League phase, adding pitchers Jedixson Paez and Alexander Alberto.

With Smith, he had already gotten his feet wet in Triple-A before being selected by the White Sox. He still defied the odds by not only sticking on the 40-man roster all season but also excelling and earning the team’s All-Star nod.

This year’s selections were different, however, as neither had pitched above Single-A. Paez, 22, and Alberto, 24, were already considered long shots to make the Opening Day roster, and the team recently revealed that one has been waived.

Chicago White Sox waive Rule-5 Draft selection Alexander Alberto

Feb 24, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Alexander Alberto (62) pitches during the fifth inning in Peoria, Arizona. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

Alberto, a reliever who can touch 100 MPH, has not had a good Spring Training with the White Sox. The former Tampa Bay Rays farmhand has a 10.80 ERA, as he has surrendered eight earned runs over 6.2 innings pitched. He’s been tagged with 12 hits allowed, four walks, and one wild pitch as well.

Now that Alberto has been waived, any other team could claim him and add him to their 40-man roster, which seems unlikely. Once he clears waivers, the Rays have a choice of paying half of the $100,000 selection fee they collected for him, working out a trade, or letting Chicago retain him.

Time will tell what happens with Alberto. His velocity gives him high upside as a reliever, so Tampa may be chomping at the bit to get him back. Arms with that kind of power don’t often stay available for long, which is why Chicago likely took a low risk flier on him in the Rule-5 Draft to begin with

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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