The White Sox announced Wednesday that they’ve designated right-hander Jedixson Páez for assignment, clearing a spot on the roster for veteran reliever Lucas Sims, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Charlotte. Páez was a Rule 5 Draft selection out of the Red Sox organization.
Páez, 22, appeared in three games for the White Sox. He retired the only batter he faced in one of the three, but in each of the other two he was tagged for three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings with a home run allowed and multiple walks. Overall, Páez yielded six runs on four hits (two homers) and three walks without a strikeout in a total of three innings.
It’s not exactly a surprise to see Páez struggle. He’d never pitched above the High-A level when the White Sox scooped him up in December’s Rule 5 Draft, and he was knocked around for eight earned runs in 11 1/3 spring innings.
Chicago understandably was intrigued by Páez despite his lack of upper-level experience. He’s shown plus command in the minors, and he draws average or better grades for both his changeup and slider. Páez sits between 91-92 mph with both his sinker and his four-seamer, so the velocity is below average, but he’s posted terrific numbers up through High-A when healthy and would likely have spent considerable time at Double-A last year, were it not for a partial calf tear that sidelined him for around four months.
Now that he’s been designated for assignment, Páez will be placed on waivers and made available to the 28 clubs other than the White Sox and Red Sox. If another club claims him, he’ll have to go right onto the active roster. Páez’s Rule 5 restrictions would transfer over to that new club, and he would not be able to be optioned to the minors at any point.
If Páez passes through waivers unclaimed, Chicago will have to offer him back to Boston for a nominal sum of $50K. Boston would not need to put Páez on its 40-man roster and could assign him directly to a minor league affiliate (likely Double-A Birmingham).
The 31-year-old Sims signed a minor league deal over the winter and had a nice spring, firing six shutout innings with three hits, three walks and eight strikeouts. He’s fired one scoreless inning so far in Charlotte.
A veteran of nine partial major league seasons, Sims comes to the South Siders with more than six years of service time. He was a useful middle relief and eventual setup arm at his peak in Cincinnati, pitching to a combined 3.93 ERA in 183 1/3 innings from 2019-23. Sims punched out a hearty 31.9% of opponents in that time but was far too prone to free passes, issuing walks at a 12.2% clip.
Sims collected 39 holds and four saves in 2023-24, but a 2025 stint with the Nationals saw his shaky command erode to untenable levels. Sims walked more than 19% of his opponents (14 of 72) and plunked another seven batters in his short time with the Nats before being cut loose last year.
He looked way overmatched in the bigs im sure he will be good someday but he definitely needs more time in the minors first.
Not sure what they expected. Kid was overmatched in ST. He has the stuff to be a good pitcher, but needs some more time.
This is why I am not a fan of the Rule 5 draft. At least not the way it is currently set up. This kid had no business in the major leagues. He is nowhere near ready. But it was set up to take away a year of his development and put him in a situation where he is likely to fail. You don’t take a guy that is in beginning swimming classes and throw him in the middle of the ocean and say well just tread water for a while and we will get you back to your training later. Luckily for him, he will get to go back to AA where he needs to be after only a week.
The Rule 5 draft CAN be good if a guy in AAA or even AA is blocked in his current organization, it can give him a better chance elsewhere. But taking 21 year olds out of A ball should not happen. 99% of the time it is foreign players that were signed at 16. There have been lots of instances of teams being forced to add guys to the 40 man roster 2 years before they make the majors just to keep them. They need to reevaluate eligibility rules for foreign players.
Wow, the kid who hasn’t played above High-A can’t pitch at an MLB level. I’m shocked.
Red sox will be happy to have him back
What pitcher on the Chisox is next to be dfa’d?
Fedde?Hudson?Burke?
I think the Chisox fans would like dfa’d:
Reinsdorf, Getz, and Schriffin!
Pretty sure the Hicks-Sandlin-Ziehl trade two months ago between the two SOX teams included PTBN on both sides, which executes once Paez clears waivers and returns to RedSox. My guess is that Paez will be acquired by Chicago and assigned to Birmingham and Boston will receive a lower tier prospect in return.
Yess, give him back >:3
Soft throwing high A pitcher gets tossed into MLB bullpen. Who’da thunk’it?