15 Cubs Minor Leaguers Declared MLB Rule 55 Free Agents
15 Cubs minor league players were declared MLB Rule 55 minor league free-agents at 5 PM (Eastern) last Monday, including 13 "six-year free-agents" (6YFA) and two "second contract" free-agents.
Among the more notable free-agents are RHP Alberto Cabrera, RHP Lendy Castillo, RHRP Marcus Hatley, RHRP Marcos Mateo, RHSP Dae-Eun Rhee, INF Chris Valaika, IF-OF Josh Vitters, and OF Manny Ramirez. (Mateo could have elected to be an Article XX-D minor league free-agent after the conclusion of the MLB regular season but he did not file by the 10/15 deadline, and Valaika could have elected to be an Article XX-D after he was outrighted last week but he did not file).
Six players who were eligible to be a minor league 6YFA (LHP Jeffry Antigua, LHP Hunter Cervenka, RHP Marcelo Carreno, C Luis Flores, RHP Starling Peralta, and RHP Jose Rosario) signed minor league successor contracts prior to being declared free-agents, and six players eligible to be a second contract FA (all six assigned to VSL Cubs) had their contracts renewed (mutual option) for 2015.
Three others (OF Ryan Kalish, RHP James McDonald, and C Eli Whiteside) had previously elected to be an Article XX-D minor league free-agent as the resuilt of being outrighted to the minors either during or after the conclusion of the MLB regular season, because the player either had accrued at least three years of MLB Service Time and/or had been outrighted to the minors previously in his career.
A potential minor league free-agent who signed a 2015 minor league successor contract prior to 5 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day following the conclusion of the World Series and any free-agent who signs a 2015 minor league contract prior to the Rule 5 Draft are eligible for selection, unless the player is added to an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) prior to the 11/20 deadline for filing MLB and minor league reserve lists.
CUBS MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS DECLARED MLB RULE 55 FREE-AGENT 11-3-2014:
SIX-YEAR FA:
Lars Anderson, 1B
Alberto Cabrera, RHP
Lendy Castillo, RHP
Charlie Cutler, C
Eduardo Figueroa, RHP
Edgar Gonzalez, INF
Marcus Hatley, RHP
Marcos Mateo, RHP
Jonathon Mota, INF
Carlos Pimentel, RHP
Dae-Eun Rhee, RHP
Chris Valaika, INF
Josh Vitters, OF
SECOND CONTRACT FA:
Nate Maldonado, C (previously released by CHC)
Manny Ramirez, OF (previously released by TEX)
Just to review...
A minor league player can become a free-agent four ways:
1. Outright Release
2. Per Article XX-B of the CBA
3. Per Article XX-D of the CBA
4. Per MLB Rule 55
OUTRIGHT RELEASE: Unlike for players on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster), Outright Release Waivers are not required to release a minor league player. A released minor league player receives two weeks termination pay if he is released during Spring Training or during the minor league season, but the player receives no termination pay if he is released during the off-season before the next season's salary addendum has been added to the player's contract. A minor league player who is injured during the course of Spring Training (Minor League Camp) or the minor league regular season receives two weeks termination pay if he is released no later than the 14th day of his club's regular season, but the injured player receives a full season's salary if he is released after the 14th day of his club's regular season.
ARTICLE XX-B: 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 either not released by 12 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day prior to MLB Opening Day or added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster) or MLB Disabled List by 3 PM (Eastern) on MLB Opening Day, the player automatically receives a $100,000 retention bonus, and the player can unilaterally opt-out of the minor league contract on June 1st if he has not been added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster) or an MLB Disabled List by that date.
ARTICLE XX-D: Any MLB player who has accrued at least three years of MLB service time, or who was eligible for Salary Arbitration as a "Super Two" after the previous season, and/or who has been outrighted previously in his career, has the right to be a free-agent if the player is outrighted to the minors. The player can exercise this right upon being outrighted, or (but only in the case of a player who has accrued at least three years of MLB Service Time and/or has been outrighted to the minors previously in his career) he can opt to defer the right until after the conclusion of the MLB regular season (he is given three days to decide if he is outrighted during Spring Training or the MLB regular season, and he has eight days to make up his mind if he is outrighted during the off-season). If a player eligible to be a free-agent under Article XX-D elects to be a free-agent immediately after being outrighted, the player's contract is terminated and the player receives no termination pay. (Because unsigned players do not receive termination pay, players eligible to be minor league free-agents under Article XX-D who are outrighted during the off-season before being tendered a contract for the following season almost always opt for free-agency immediately). But if the outrighted player accepts the Outright Assignment, the player's existing contract remains in force, and the player can elect free-agency beginning on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season up through October 15th. (A player who had the option to elect free-agency upon being outrighted only because he had been eligible for Salary Arbitration as a "Super Two" after the previous season does NOT have the right to defer free-agency until after the conclusion of the MLB regular season). However, an outrighted player who deferred the right to be an Article XX-D minor league free-agent until the conclusion of the MLB regular season is NOT eligible to be a free-agent if the player is added back to an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) prior to the conclusion of the MLB regular season.
MLB RULE 55: Sometimes called a "Six-Year Minor League Free-Agent," an unsigned minor league player is automatically declared a free-agent per MLB Rule 55 if the player has spent all or any part of at least seven separate seasons on a minor league roster (including all or parts of any season spent on Optional Assignment to the minors), and/or if the player has been previously released or non-tendered in his career and his present contract (known as a "second contract" even if it's his third or fourth minor league contract) has expired. For purposes of determining eligibility to be a free-agent, a player does not accrue a minor league season if the player spends the entire season on an MLB Active List, MLB Disabled List(s), and/oror other MLB Inactive List, or if the player spends an entire season on the Restricted List, Disqualified List, Suspended List, Ineligible List, Voluntarily Retired List, and/or Military List. Also, participation in a post-season instructional league, Arizona Fall League, and/or winter league do not count toward a minor league season. Note that a player who ordinarily would have been declared a Rule 55 minor league free-agent is NOT eligible to be a free-agent if the player is either added to an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) or agrees to a minor league successor contract with his previous club by 5:00 PM (Eastern) on October 15th or by 5:00 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day following the conclusion of the World Series (whichever is later). The deadline for an MLB club to tender a contract to an unsigned minor league player who had previously agreed to a successor contract is January 15th. If an unsigned minor league player is not tendered a contract by January 15th, the player becomes an unrestricted free-agent.
A minor league free-agent can sign a contract with any major league or minor league club (including the player's former club) without any restrictions. A club receives no compensation for losing an Article XX-B, Article XX-D, or MLB Rule 55 minor league free-agent.
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