The MLB offseason has been moving slowly along, as free agents were eligible to sign with teams at 5 PM on November 2nd. There hasn’t been much movement across the league yet, but fans should expect a frenzy before the lockout begins on December 1st.
As the first few weeks of the offseason have been quiet, the White Sox have yet to make a free agent signing. At this point, the only move the White Sox have made this offseason was claiming a player from the Miami Marlins organization. That would of course be none other than Graham Pauley, a 26 year-old utility player.
The Chicago White Sox have claimed infielder Graham Pauley off waivers from Miami and outrighted left-handed pitcher Ky Bush and outfielder Junior Pérez to Class AAA Charlotte.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) November 2, 2026
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Pauley has less than 150 games of major league experience, so let’s take a look at what the White Sox could be getting with their latest addition to the 40-man roster.
Pauley was a 13rd round pick by the San Diego Padres out of Duke University in the 2022 draft. He was a quick riser through the Padres system and was apart of the blockbuster trade that sent Tanner Scott to the Padres at the 2024 deadline.
Overall in his minor league career, Pauley has hit .261 with a .361 OBP and a very respectable .832 OPS. He’s added 56 homers, 225 RBIs, and 46 stolen bases. His most recent minor league season was spent with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, the Marlins AAA team, where he hit .236 with a .332 OBP and a .768 OPS. He added 7 homeruns, 23 RBIs, and had 24 walks to 51 strikeouts in just 46 games.
However, Pauley spent a majority of his 2026 season with the Miami Marlins, hitting .211 with a .257 OBP over 62 games. He added 4 homeruns and 25 RBIs. While the average and on base percentage were lower than league average, he showed intriguing power numbers and had a nice second half.
#WhiteSox waiver claim: INF Graham Pauley
Post-ASB (51 AB):
.275/.321/.510 | 3 HR | 14 RBI | .831 OPS26 y/o LHH. Padres’ 2022 13th round pick out of Duke & 2023 MiLB team PoY. Overlapped with Derek Shomon in Miami (2025). https://t.co/SAsvqgBxJ3
— Adrian White (@AdrianWhiteSox) November 2, 2026
The White Sox are likely to get more out of Pauley’s glove than his bat, as he can play all over the field. He has logged major league games at first, second, third, and center field. With that kind of versatility, anything you get out of his bat is a plus.
Unfortunately for Pauley, the White Sox have an absolutely stacked infield. They have an all-star at first and third, the best second basemen in the American League, and a shortstop that just hit 30 bombs. On top of that, Luisangel Acuna is out of options, and Brooks Baldwin and Tanner Murray are coming back from injury. There will be an uphill battle to make the roster for Pauley.
At the end of the day, Pauley is a fantastic depth piece to have in the organization, as I can only assume he will spend a majority of the year in AAA with the Charlotte Knights. You can never have enough players that could step in if there is an injury, and Pauley was a nice addition to the organization.
