NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The White Sox finished with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft as a result of the Draft Lottery held at the Winter Meetings Tuesday.
Entering with the fourth-best odds for No. 1 at 14.7 percent and the fourth-worst 2023 record at 61-101, Chicago dropped down instead of up in the first-round selecting order. The White Sox also can’t pick any higher than 10th overall in the 2025 Draft, regardless of their season’s record, as a large-market team can’t be in the lottery for back-to-back seasons according to terms in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
“We don’t factor that in too much,” White Sox general manager Chris Getz said of the first-round restrictions for the 2024 Draft. “The cards are dealt, and you just make adjustments along the way.
“We’re trying to improve our ballclub, and to focus on what we’re going to pick in next year’s Draft is not something that our sights are on too much. But it’s something that can be factored in, and we’ll see what happens not only tonight but also next year with our season and how productive we can be.”
Cleveland, with a 2.0 percent chance to finish at No. 1, earned the top pick. The news improved for Chicago as the night progressed, with the team agreeing to a two-year, $15 million deal with free agent hurler Erick Fedde, a source told MLB.com.