White Sox land Giants pitcher in Rule 5 Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The White Sox selected San Francisco Giants pitcher Nick Avila with their Rule 5 Draft pick at this year's winter meetings.
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Avila, 25, was selected in 2019 by the Giants out of Cal State University. He's played in the Giants' system since then, making his way to Double-A this past season.
"It's been a little bit since we've made a Rule 5 pick," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said on Wednesday. "It was made with the intention of Nick potentially being someone who could play a role in our bullpen in 2023. We like the long-term upside, but we would not have made the selection if we didn't think he had a chance to potentially contribute as most likely a multi-inning reliever for us next season."
In 47 games between Double-A and High-A baseball in the Giants' farm system, Avila held a 1.14 ERA from 55.1 innings pitched. He struck out 58 batters and walked 14 of them on his way to a 4-2 pitching record.
Chicago Baseball
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Every December during winter meetings, the Rule 5 Draft allows clubs without a full 40-man roster to select a player from their non-40-man rosters. Not every club needs to make a selection, but a club that does select a player will pay $100,000 to the opposing club in exchange for the player.
This year, the White Sox snagged a pitcher some Giants' pundits were surprised the team didn't protect. Given his upside and past connection with the White Sox staff, Hahn indicates it was a relatively easy decision to select him.
"He has a history with Ethan [Katz]," Hahn said. "Ethan thinks very highly of him. We liked the idea of bringing him in and letting him compete for a spot. In the end, not surprisingly, given where we're at, we'll obviously go with the best group that helps us win in Chicago."
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