CHICAGO -- The call received Tuesday morning by Tanner McDougal from White Sox director of player development Paul Janish was direct and to the point. But in finding out he was being added to the team’s 40-man roster and avoiding being left unprotected and Rule 5 Draft eligible, McDougal happily picked up all the needed information.
"It’s great,” McDougal told MLB.com during a phone interview Tuesday night from his Las Vegas home. “This is what I set out to do last year, one of my goals.
"I’m really excited to be able to hopefully make a difference on the big league squad next year at some point. Whether that’s out of Spring Training or somewhere down the line during the year, I’m all for it.”
Along with McDougal’s contract being selected, the White Sox also selected the contract of fellow right-hander Duncan Davitt, who was acquired from the Rays as part of the Adrian Houser deal at last summer's Trade Deadline.
The team then traded Minor League catcher Ronny Hernandez to the Red Sox in exchange for left-handed pitcher Chris Murphy and sent right-handers Yoendrys Gómez and Steven Wilson to the Rays for outfielder Everson Pereira and infielder/outfielder Tanner Murray.
Pereira could emerge as the team’s fourth outfielder as a former top prospect with the Yankees should the deal be finalized. The right-handed-hitting 24-year-old was traded to the Rays for Jose Caballero at last season’s Deadline, and has slashed .146/.227/.215 with two home runs and 18 RBIs in 50 games over a limited 176 career plate appearances with the Yankees and Rays.
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Murphy, 27, went 3-0 with a 3.12 ERA, .172 opponents' average and 30 strikeouts over 34 2/3 innings in 23 relief appearances covering three stints with the Red Sox in 2025. He walked 20 and allowed four home runs.
At 6-foot-1 and 186 pounds, Murphy missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The addition of another left-hander to the bullpen became important for the White Sox with the Tuesday announcement of southpaw Fraser Ellard, 28, being placed on the Voluntary Retired List.
Ellard appeared in 18 games (three starts) over three stints with the White Sox last season, going 1-2 with a 4.24 ERA, with 19 walks and 22 strikeouts. He was on the injured list from April 10-29 with a right hamstring strain and May 4-July 3 with a left lat strain.
Davitt, 26, combined to go 7-8 with a 4.38 ERA, 150 strikeouts in 152 innings and a 1.21 WHIP in 28 starts with Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham in the Tampa Bay organization and Chicago's Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte. Davitt provides starting depth for the White Sox, either at the Major League level or with the Knights.
McDougal, 22, is the No. 7 White Sox prospect, per MLB Pipeline. He struck out 136 over 113 1/3 total innings with High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham in '25 to go with a 3.26 ERA. In two postseason starts for the Southern League champion Barons, McDougal threw seven scoreless with one hit, no walks and 11 strikeouts.
His next step is now pointed directly at the White Sox, with Janish delivering the good news.
"He said, ‘Congratulations. You had a heck of a year last year, we are super pumped for you,’” McDougal recalled of his message from Janish. “Just kind of congratulating me really. It was quick, to the point.”