How The White Sox Could Pull Off A Heist With A Savvy Rule-5 Pick

The Rule-5 draft is approaching quickly and the White Sox will have the second overall pick this year. Last year, the White Sox used the first overall pick on starting pitcher Shane Smith. This turned out to be a very good pick, as he was the all-star representative for the White Sox at the midsummer classic.

For all the good it can bring, the Rule-5 draft is very volatile. Last year was great for the White Sox in terms of Rule-5 draft players, as Shane Smith and Mike Vasil should both be long-term pieces after impressing in their rookie seasons. However, prior to that, you have to go back to 2017 for the last Rule-5 player that made any sort of impact for the White Sox, that being starting pitcher Dylan Covey. The White Sox will look to strike gold again this year and will have an interesting pool of players to choose from.

The trickiest part about the Rule-5 draft is that the player must remain on the roster the entire season or they will have to return the player to the team they selected them from. This means it makes more sense to pick a player who has been in AA or AAA, as they will be more prepared to make the jump to the major leagues. Additionally, sometimes there is a reason why a team left a player unprotected, as if it is not due to a 40-man roster crunch, they may simply not care if they lose the player, which isn’t always a good thing.

While the White Sox had more success with developing rule five pitchers this past season, as Gage Workman did not end up working out, they could look to tap into that once again. One player that the White Sox could be interested in selecting with the second pick in the draft is pitcher Brandon Birdsell, from the Chicago Cubs organization.

Birdsell, 25, was selected by the Cubs in the 5th round of the 2022 MLB draft out of Texas Tech. Birdsell currently ranks as the 9th best prospect for the Cubs, according to MLB Pipeline.

Birdsell pitched in High-A and AA during the 2023 season, putting up some very good numbers. He threw 107 innings, en route to a 2.77 ERA. He had a very solid 1.14 WHIP, as this was a very good professional debut for Birdsell.

Birdsell split time between AA and AAA in 2024, again putting up very good numbers. Over 135 innings, he had a 3.91 ERA striking out 134 batters while just walking 34. This was impressive considering he made it to AAA after essentially pitching in just one minor league season.

6.0 innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts from Brandon Birdsell???? pic.twitter.com/ZdXCrVgV4t

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) September 5, 2024

Unfortunately for Birdsell, 2025 ended due to a season ending surgery. He was able to pitch in 33 innings prior to his injury, as he had a very good 2.94 ERA. Birdsell will now miss the entirety of the 2026 season due to his injury, which is a bummer considering he is an ascending player.

Birdsell’s injury is likely why the Cubs did not protect him by adding him to the 40-man roster, as he won’t be able to play this season. However, the White Sox could make a savvy move by selecting him in the Rule-5 draft and stashing him until next season.

A team can select a player in the Rule-5 draft and place them on the injured list, he just will have the same restrictions a Rule-5 player would have in the next season. So, in theory, the White Sox could select Birdsell, put him on the IL, and he would be a Rule-5 addition for the 2027 season.

This could be a smart move for the White Sox, as Birdsell is a very talented player and he would be a significant addition to the White Sox organization. The Rule-5 draft has multiple rounds, so if the White Sox wanted to select him with their second round pick, they could still do that and select a player who will play in 2026 with their first pick.

The White Sox are in no position to deny adding talent to their organization and by drafting and essentially stashing Birdsell, it could pay off in a big way. This would be an extremely low-risk move, as if he doesn’t pan out, he would just be returned to the Cubs next season with no harm done. The White Sox would be smart to make a move like this.