White Sox See Versatility In Davitt As They Shape Pitching Staff

White Sox general manager turned some heads last week when the team added right-hander Duncan Davitt to the 40-man roster, leaving six of the club’s Top-30 prospects unprotected ahead of the Rule 5 Draft.

While protecting the team’s No. 7 prospect, Tanner McDougal, was expected, Davitt raised some eyebrows. However, Getz told reporters that both pitchers received trade interest before last week’s deadline to set 40-man rosters. 

Davitt was acquired from the Rays in the trade that sent Adrian Houser to Tampa Bay. With several candidates to consider for Rule 5 protection, the White Sox decision to add him to the 40-man roster so soon after the deal signals they want to give the right-hander an extended look.

The 26-year-old, an 18th-round pick by the Rays in 2022, reached Triple-A last season and recorded a 4.38 ERA with 150 strikeouts and a 1.21 WHIP over 152 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.

Getz believes that Davitt can help the White Sox pitching staff in a variety of ways next season. 

“Someone that we feel like is versatile, can give us starter innings,” Getz told reporters on Wednesday. “Can pitch in the bullpen if need be, both in a multi-inning role, but also at a higher leverage, knowing that his stuff is there, he has weapons for both sides. Knowing even on shorter stints, his stuff will play up even further.” 

The White Sox could use another arm in the rotation to help eat innings, but given Getz’s rationale, it sounds like bringing back left-hander Martin Perez is not in the cards. 

Davitt has yet to reach the big leagues, but is expected to make his MLB debut this season. 

Across four minor league seasons, Davitt has posted a 4.32 ERA with an impressive 25.1% strikeout rate and a 7.4% walk rate. His ability to generate swings and misses is a key reason he profiles as a potential high-leverage reliever. Last season, he struck out nearly 24% of the hitters he faced while producing a strong 43% ground-ball rate.

After joining the White Sox, however, all of his work came in a starting role. Assigned to Triple-A Charlotte, he made nine starts in the second half and recorded a 5.03 ERA over 48.1 innings. 

Davitt capped his 2025 minor league season with 28 starts, logging 152 innings and recording 10 quality starts.

He doesn’t feature overpowering stuff, with his fastball averaging just 91 mph. But Davitt makes up for it with a deep five-pitch arsenal. His 82 mph slider and 81 mph curveball are his primary secondary offerings that account for nearly 39% of his pitches.