ORLANDO, Fla. — Nearly 24 hours after the Major League Baseball 2026 draft lottery, there was still plenty of buzz surrounding the Chicago White Sox securing the No. 1 pick.
“You can still feel the excitement in our room, that’s for sure,” general manager Chris Getz said Wednesday afternoon. “I’m sure that is extended in Chicago and our fan base. Everyone that’s touching the Chicago White Sox right now is diving into the upcoming draft and what are some of the possibilities, and I would imagine that’s going to continue and pick up as we get closer.
“We feel really good about it. Just a boost to what we’re already doing.”
The lottery result served as one of the highlights for the team at the winter meetings, which concluded Wednesday. Here are three takeaways from the final day of the gathering.
1. The Sox selected 2 pitchers, lost 1 in the Rule 5 draft.
The Sox made a splash at last year’s Rule 5 draft, selecting Shane Smith with the first pick. The right-hander went on to lead the team in several pitching categories during an All-Star season.
The Sox doubled up on pitching Wednesday in this year’s Rule 5 draft, selecting right-handers Jedixson Paez with the No. 2 pick and Alexander Alberto in the second round.
Paez had a 2.79 and 23 strikeouts in seven starts in 2025 for High-A Greenville in the Boston Red Sox system. He missed most of the season because of a right calf strain.
Paez, 21, is 17-15 with a 3.22 ERA and 307 strikeouts in 73 appearances (58 starts) over five career minor-league seasons. Getz described Paez as someone with “multiple weapons.”
“He’s got an arsenal to navigate to both-sided hitters,” Getz said. “He obviously hasn’t pitched at the upper levels, but in terms of the command and the amount of pitches he has, our group was really excited about it.”
Alberto, 24, went 2-2 with a 2.59 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 42 relief appearances with Low-A Charleston and High-A Bowling Green in the Tampa Bay Rays system in 2025.
“The guy’s got big-time stuff,” Getz said.
Alberto is 6-10 with a 4.18 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 104 outings (15 starts) during five minor-league seasons. Like Paez, High A represents Alberto’s highest level of professional baseball.
“When you’re going through the Rule 5 … there’s always a reason why there’s availability on some of those players,” Getz said. “Some of it is just the gap between where they’ve pitched and the big leagues, injury history, what have you.
“In this sense, we feel like this is a chance worth taking on both of those guys and we’ve proven last year that we were able to navigate with two Rule 5 picks (Smith and later Mike Vasil, whom they claimed off waivers in March), three at one point (infielder Gage Workman appeared in three games in late April). We’re excited to see what (Paez and Alberto) can do for us.”
The Sox saw the Cleveland Guardians select pitcher Peyton Pallette. The right-hander made 52 relief appearances between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte in 2025.
“We knew that Peyton was at risk of being taken, it wasn’t an easy decision (to not add him to the 40-man roster) for us,” Getz said. “Obviously he’s got to stick on a roster for a full season, but tough to see him go. But really excited about the guys that we’ve brought in.”
2. The focus continues to be on free agents more so than trades.
Getz summed up the winter meetings as “productive.”
“A lot of meetings, both with other organizations and agents,” he said. “To get everyone in person and spend some time together and talk about the upcoming season, that’s a benefit of the winter meetings.”
Getz said there was some progress made with free agents.
“Those kind of take on a life of their own based on the competition there and just the market in general,” Getz said. “Trade discussions just continue to be ongoing, but most of our focus is very much on the free-agent front more so than trade.”
3. The outfield market has yet to pick up.
The outfield market is one area the Sox continue to monitor.
“That really hasn’t moved perhaps like some other positions or even on the pitching front,” Getz said. “You’re at the mercy just of the industry and behaviors of whether it be other clubs or agents ready to be a little bit more active and have more specific negotiations, so to speak.
“You’ve just got to stay on top of it, and that’s what we’re doing.”
The Sox have five outfielders on their 40-man roster, including Luis Robert Jr. The center fielder has drawn interest from other teams, just as in past winter meetings.
“Teams continue to check in on him, which is of no surprise just because of the talent,” Getz said. “But we’re focused on Luis Robert being in our uniform come spring training. If that changes, it changes but it’s quite the talent. We know that and it’s our job to support him the best we can.”