White Sox's Shane Smith: First pick of Rule 5 draft
Rotowire
The White Sox selected Smith with the first pick in the Rule 5 draft Wednesday, JJ Cooper of Baseball America reports.
Smith has a chance to be a viable rotation option for the White Sox as early as this season, and he'll need to be kept on the big-league roster (or injured list) all season, otherwise the White Sox would have to return him to the Brewers. Smith, who has a 93-mph fastball and throws a pair of breaking balls, logged 94.1 innings across Double-A and Triple-A, with all his work as a starter (16 starts) coming at Double-A. He logged a 2.96 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 74 strikeouts in 67 innings as a starter, and also struck out 39 in 27.1 innings as a reliever. Smith may be eased into his big-league career as a low-leverage multi-inning reliever, but he could also get some starts in the first half.
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Brewers' Shane Smith: Working out of Triple-A bullpen
Rotowire
Smith was promoted from Double-A Biloxi to Triple-A Nashville on Sept. 3.
Smith, a 6-foot-4 righty, opened the year pitching in short stints at Double-A before getting stretched out and having success as a starter (2.96 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 74:22 K:BB in 67 IP). He's finishing the year back in a relief role after getting the bump to Nashville. The Brewers signed Smith as an undrafted free agent in 2021 after he had just undergone Tommy John surgery, as the hurler opted to rehab with professional coaches rather than stay at Wake Forest. His 93.1 innings this year are the most he has thrown in any season on record, so the decision to sign with Milwaukee seems to have paid off. Smith, who works with a running four-seamer at the top of the zone and a wicked slider, is positioned to be a rotation option for the big club next summer.
