White Sox pick Angel Sanchez in Rule 5 Draft

For the first time since 2003, when they selected Jason Grilli from the Marlins, the White Sox drafted a player in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Marking another departure from the predilections of Kenny Williams, Rick Hahn took INF Angel Sanchez from the Angels.

Sanchez is a 29 year old who has spent time in the majors with the Royals, Astros and Red Sox over parts of three seasons, batting .255/.304/.308 while playing shortstop, second base and third base. His obvious purpose is to add further depth in the infield in a team that lacks anything resembling it.

The right-handed hitting Sanchez spent all of last season with the Astros' Triple-A affiliate, where he put up an impressive .320/.390/.407 line in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He signed with the Angels as a minor league free agent on October 26 but was not on the Angels' 40 man roster and therefore eligible to be picked.

The White Sox pay the Angels $50,000 for Sanchez and must keep him on their 25 man roster (or the disabled list) for all of 2013 or offer him back to the Angels for $25,000.

Sanchez was a decent prospect coming up in the Royals' organization with the reputation of an excellent defender with a superb arm and a good contact hitter who lacked power or on-base skills.

The White Sox 40 man roster sits at 38.