The Chicago White Sox, following a historically bad 121-loss season, selected right-hander Shane Smith with the first pick in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday.
Smith, 24, was in the Milwaukee organization since 2022 after the Brewers signed him as an undrafted free agent. He went a combined 6-3 with one save, a 3.05 ERA, 29 walks and 113 strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings over 32 games (16 starts) for Triple-A Nashville and Double-A Biloxi in 2024.
Teams must have room on their 40-man rosters to select a player and pay $100,000 to the team they drafted from. If the player fails to remain on the 26-man roster for the full 2025 season, he is offered back to his former team for $50,000. If the former team declines, and no other team makes a waiver claim, then he can be assigned to the minor leagues.
The Miami Marlins picked second and purchased the contract of catcher Liam Hicks from the Detroit Tigers. A native of Toronto, Hicks, 25, batted .264 with six home runs and 47 RBIs in 406 at-bats in 113 games split between Double-A Erie, a Tigers affiliate, and Double-A Frisco, a Texas Rangers affiliate. The Rangers selected Hicks in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Arkansas State.
The Los Angeles Angels reached across to the Los Angeles Dodgers to grab left-hander Garrett McDaniels, who turns 25 on Dec. 15. He played for three teams in 2024, going a combined 5-5 with one save, a 3.19 ERA, 29 walks and 84 strikeouts in 73 1/3 innings over 32 games (seven starts) at Double-A Tulsa, High-A Great Lakes and Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.
McDaniels was a 30th-round pick of the Marlins in 2018.
The Cincinnati Reds selected second baseman Cooper Bowman, 24, with the seventh pick. He was rated the Oakland Athletics’ No. 20 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
Shortstop Gage Workman, 25, who was the Tigers’ No. 29 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is now the Cubs’ No. 29 after Chicago picked him at No. 10.
Right-hander Juan Nunez, 24, was the Baltimore Orioles’ No. 8 prospect, and now he’s in the San Diego farm system after the Padres took him with the 12th pick.
Right-hander Mike Vasil, 24, ranked No. 18 in the New York Mets organization, went to the Philadelphia Phillies with the 14th pick.
After 15 players were drafted in the Major League phase, 68 players were selected in Minor League phase, with costs rising from $12,000 to $24,000 for a Triple-A selection. There are no roster restrictions for players with their new organizations.
