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An unsigned player under club control who does not yet qualify for salary arbitration ultimately has to either accept the club's offer or just not play.
A club will negotiate with the player up to a point, but if the player has not signed a contract for the current season by March 1st, the club has the right to unilaterally dictate the player's salary and renew the player's contract from the previous season (albeit for an amount not less than the MLB minimum salary, and not less than 80% of the player's salary from the previous season and not less than 70% of the player's salary from two season's back).
These players are the ones who have a "minor league split" salary in their contract, which the player is paid if he is sent to the minors. A player's "minor league split" salary must be at least equal to the 2023 MLB "minor league split" minimum salary and must be at least 50% of the player's salary (what the player was actually paid) from the previous season.
NOTE: If a free-agent signs a major league contract with a minor league "split" salary, the "50% rule" does not apply.
POST-2023 CUBS PRE-ARBITRATION (AUTO-RENEWAL) PLAYERS: (last updated 9-6-2023)
Kevin Alcantara, OF
Miguel Amaya, C
Javier Assad, RHP
Ben Brown, RHP
Alexander Canario, OF
Jose Cuas, RHP
Brennen Davis, OF
Jeremiah Estrada, RHP
Caleb Kilian, RHP
Luke Little, LHP
Miles Mastrobuoni, INF-OF
Matt Mervis, 1B
Christopher Morel, INF
Daniel Palencia, RHP
Ethan Roberts, RHP
Michael Rucker, RHP
Justin Steele, LHP (likely "Super Two" - TBD)
Keegan Thompson, RHP
Hayden Wesneski, RHP
Jordan Wicks, LHP
Jared Young, INF-OF
Recent comments
Childersb3 09/26/2023 - 09:27 am (view)
Padres want to restructure while still competing, yet decrease payroll.
Snell and Hader are FAs.
Soto has one year left on deal.
Our bullpen is in dire need of someone like Hader.
Snell would cost a ton and maybe Steele's presence makes Snell unnecessary, yet you cannot have enough pitching (I'd like Yamamoto)
But, we can put a deal together for Soto. We'd have to pony up the cash to keep him to make the trade worth it long term, but we can make a value deal for the Padres.
Morel, Canario, Mervis, Vazquez, one MiLB SP (Sanders-Arias-Gray-maybe Ferris), and Stroman (or Hendricks)
So, it's a six for one deal.
The issue here is that five of these guys have to be on the Padres 40man roster. That might be too much for them. So maybe BJ Murray instead of Vazquez.
Morel is blocked from a defensive position. So he's our DH. He'd be replaced by Soto.
We'd still keep Alcantara and ONKC to replace Happ and Suzuki eventually.
We'd still need to figure out 3B. Maybe bring back Candelario.
I'd resign Belli for 1B or CF if PCA isn't "ready" in Spring Training.
Wisdom can stay to help Soto with DH spots vs LH arms.
You'd have LH bats at DH, 1B, 3B (switch), LF (switch), CF (PCA or Tauch) with 20 HR pop at DH, 1B, LF and 15 HR pop at 3B and CF. That's pretty solid.
It'll cost too much for the Ricketts to keep Bellinger and Soto but that would be fun to watch.
crunch 09/26/2023 - 09:48 am (view)
missing the playoffs because of an on-paper tiebreaker loss would be peak cubbery.
Hagsag1946 09/26/2023 - 09:10 am (view)
Thanks Phil. I look forward to these reports.
Mike Wellman 09/25/2023 - 09:24 pm (view)
Playoffs essentially start tomorrow for Cubs. Better pack for a week in Milwaukee.
Arizona Phil 09/25/2023 - 09:34 pm (view)
azbobbop: If Stroman does not opt out, the Cubs can trade him without any restrictions.
Stroman will make $21M in 2024 if he does not opt out, and Hendricks will make $16M if the Cubs exercise the club option.
Also, it would cost the Cubs a $1.5M buy-out if they decline the Hendricks club option, so they would only be saving $14.5M by declining the option, not the full $16M.
azbobbop 09/25/2023 - 09:08 pm (view)
Phil, if Stroman opts in, does have any trade protection?
Arizona Phil 09/25/2023 - 09:52 pm (view)
CRUNCH: Unfortunately all of the tie-breakers work against the Cubs in the case of a tie with AZ, MIA, and/or CIN.
Arizona Phil 09/25/2023 - 09:48 pm (view)
CUBSTER: The Cubs are expected to be "in" on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but so will about a dozen other clubs.
Arizona Phil 09/25/2023 - 09:54 pm (view)
Childersb3: I suspect the Cubs will pick-up the Hendricks $16M 2024 option rather than pay the $1.5M buy-out, and then depending on what else might happen during off-season (Stroman opt-out now not likely, Smyly to the pen permanently, might or might not sign Yamamoto), Hendricks will either be in the Cubs starting rotation on Opening Day, or else he will be traded.
So while I don't think the Cubs will decline the club option, I do think he could be traded if it becomes clear during the course of the off-season and Spring Training that there is no place for him in the 2024 rotation.
With the need for SP being what it is throughout MLB, Hendricks still has value (especially on a one-year contract for reasonable money), whether it be with the Cubs or with another club (presuming he stays healthy, of course).
Arizona Phil 09/26/2023 - 09:24 am (view)
Here are pitch types / velo from the game:
Alfredo Romero: FB 88-91 and CV 77-79
Shane Marshall: FB 92, SL/CT: 87-88, CV: 79-81
Mason McGwire: FB 93-95, SL/CT 85-88, SPLIT 76-78
Kevin Valdez: FB 92-93, SL 80-83, CV 74
Koen Moreno: FB 89-92, SL/CT 84-85, CH 79-81, CV 73-74