Article XX-B MLB Free-Agency
Per Article XX-B of the CBA, any player on an MLB Reserve List who has accrued at least six years of MLB Service Time and who is not signed for the following season becomes a free-agent at 9 AM (Eastern) on the first day after the final game of the World Series (or 9 AM Eastern on October 15th if the World Series is cancelled).
Service time accrued while on the active roster of a foreign club(s) may be considered when determining Article XX-B and Article XIX-A contractual rights & eligibility.
The player's former club retains exclusive negotiating rights with an Article XX-B player up until 5 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series (or 5 PM Eastern on October 20th if the World Series is cancelled), after-which the player is free to sign a Major League contract (or minor league contract) with any club, including with the player's former club.
CUBS ARTICLE XX-B MLB FREE-AGENTS POST-2024 (updated 3-28-2024):
Cody Bellinger, OF-1B (player opt-out post-2024)
Garrett Cooper, 1B
Yan Gomes, C
Kyle Hendricks, RHP
Hector Neris, RHP (club option or vesting player option for 2025)
Drew Smyly, LHP (mutual option for 2025)
An Article XX-B MLB free-agent who signs a Major League contract after 11:59 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series (or after 11:59 Eastern on October 20th if the World Series is cancelled) receives automatic "no trade" rights that extend through June 15th of the following season, even if the player re-signs with his former club. An Article XX-B MLB Free-Agent who receives "no trade" rights this way can waive the right, but if he does, his club can trade the player only for player contracts and/or cash with a maximum aggregate value of $50,000. Note that a player who signs a Major League contract after becoming a free-agent by any other means (Outright Release, Non-Tendered, or Article XX-D or MLB Rule 9 minor league free-agent) does NOT receive automatic "no trade" rights through June 15th.
POST-2023 ARTICLE XX-B MLB PLAYERS ON CUBS MLB RESERVE LIST (updated 2-27-2024):
Cody Bellinger, OF-1B
Hector Neris, RHP
If an Article XX-B MLB free-agent signs a minor league contract at least ten days prior to MLB Opening Day, and then is not selected to an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) or MLB 60-day Injured List by 12 PM (Eastern) on the 4th day day prior to MLB Opening Day, the player can unilaterally opt-out of the minor league contract immediately, or on May 1st if he has not been added to an MLB Active List (26-man roster) or MLB 60-day IL by that date, or on June 1st if he has not been added to an MLB Active List (26-man roster) or MLB IL by that date.
NOTE: The $100,000 retention bonus paid to an Article XX-B free-agent signed to a minor league contract who is not released or added to an MLB Active List or MLB 60-day IL by MLB Opening Day has been eliminated in 2023.
POST-2023 ARTICLE XX-B PLAYERS SIGNED TO 2024 MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT (updated 3-28-2024):
David Peralta, OF
Recent comments
Arizona Phil (view)
azbobbop: Yes.
Mike Wellman (view)
I’ve got Tim’s The Last Out too, along with some other prints of his work.
TarzanJoeWallis (view)
Very well played game all around tonight.
crunch (view)
best starter and 2 top hitters from the team gone...and they keep on winning.
little ahead of myself here, but the RSox got 9 outs to find 6+ runs.
TarzanJoeWallis (view)
Richard Gallardo just left the Smokies game with an arm injury after going to the ground following a pitch. Doesn’t sound good at all.
azbobbop (view)
Phil, do you think Wiggins will start out in ACL?
azbobbop (view)
The level of conversation on this site is intelligent, reasoned and informative. Miles ahead of other Cub sites.
Arizona Phil (view)
This was Jaxon Wiggins previous "live" BP on 4/5:
JAXON WIGGINS:
ONE INNING (20 pitches - 10 strikes)
one batted ball in play (F-9 by Stevens)
one walk (B. Davis)
one HBP (B. Davis)
two strikeouts (Peralta & Escobar - both looking)
three swing & miss
two fouls
four called strikes
nine called balls
Arizona Phil (view)
Prior to the Cactus League game at Papago Park, three Cubs pitchers threw "live" BP on Field 1 at the Cubs Sloan Park complex, including RHRP Ethan Roberts (June 2022 TJS) and Cubs 2023 2nd round draft pick RHP Jaxon Wiggins (February 2023 TJS).
Wiggins last threw "live" BP three weeks ago before being shut down for a couple of weeks, and this was the first time Roberts has thrown to hitters in almost two years.
JAXON WIGGINS:
ONE INNING:
25 pitches (11 strikes)
no batted balls in play
two walks (Suriel and J. Diaz)
three strikeouts (Carico, Lubo, and Escobar - all three swinging)
six swing & miss
two fouls
three called strikes
14 called balls
one WP
ETHAN ROBERTS:
ONE INNING
15 pitches (7 strikes)
two batted balls in play (G-3 by Carico and L-9 by Suriel)
two walks (Lubo and Carico)
no strikeouts
no swing & miss
two fouls
three called strikes
eight called balls
one WP
Mat Peters was bumped by Justin Steele from his scheduled game work at Giants, so he threw two innings of "live" BP with Wiggins & Roberts.
MAT PETERS:
TWO INNINGS
44 pitches (23 strikes)
five batted balls in play (F-7, L-7, F-7, G-6, G-3)
three walks
two strikeouts (both Lubo and both looking)
six swing & miss
three fouls
nine called strikes
21 called balls
three WP
crunch (view)
wall stole a HR from busch...double. nice to see him destroy a curve ball.
upon further viewing, that might not have been a homer in too many parks...it had a lot of hang time, though.