19 Cubs Minor Leaguers Declared MLB Rule 55 Free-Agents
NOVEMBER 10th UPDATE: BA transactions reports that the Cubs have re-signed RHP Starling Peralta to a 2016 minor league contract. So now the Cubs have re-signed eight of their 24 2015 Rule 55 6YFA (RHP Frank Batista, OF Pin-Chieh Chen, C Willson Contreras, INF Ryan Dent, RHSP Felix Pena, RHRP Starling Peralta, RHP Jose Rosario, and INF Logan Watkins). Unless added to an MLB 40-man roster by 11/20, each of the eight re-signed Rule 55 6YFA will be eligible for selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft.
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NOVEMBER 9th UPDATE: Baseball America reports that the Cubs have signed minor league 6YFA RHP Felix Pena and OF Pin-Chieh Chen to 2016 minor league contracts, meaning they are no longer free-agents, but they will be eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft next month if not added to the MLB 40-man roster by 11/20.
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Nineteen Cubs minor league players were declared MLB Rule 55 minor league free-agents at 5 PM (Eastern) this past Friday.
Among the more notable Cubs 6YFA are 2015 Cubs minor league strikeout leader RHSP Felix Pena, 2015 PCL Pitcher of the Year RHSP Carlos Pimentel, RHRP Starling Peralta, RHP (ex-OF) Jae-Hoon Ha, OF Pin-Chieh Chen, and RHRP Blake Parker.
Six other players (OF-1B Mike Baxter, OF Quintin Berry, INF Jonathan Herrera, LHRP James Russell, RHRP Brian Schlitter, and C Taylor Teagarden) had previously elected to be an Article XIX-A or 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
Five Cubs minor leaguers who were eligible to be a Rule 55 6YFA (RHP Frank Batista, C Willson Contreras, INF Ryan Dent, RHP Jose Rosario, and INF Logan Watkins) signed minor league successor contracts prior to being declared free-agents. (Both Rosario and Watkins missed the entire 2015 season with injuries, Rosario undergoing TJS in April, and Watkins suffering a ruptured achilles tendon prior to the start of Spring Training, so they probably re-upped so as to maintain the continuity of their long-term rehab with Cubs trainers and staff at the Under Armour Performance Center at Riverview Park in Mesa).
So the five players who signed 2016 minor league successor contracts now become eligible for selection in the 2015 Rule 5 Draft, which will be held on December 10th. (A potential minor league free-agent who signed a 2016 minor league successor contract prior to 5 PM Eastern on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series and a free-agent who signs a 2016 minor league contract prior to the Rule 5 Draft are eligible for selection in the draft, unless the player is added to an MLB 40-man roster prior to the 11/20 deadline for filing MLB and minor league reserve lists). Contreras is the only one of the five who is likely to be added to the Cubs MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) by the 11/20 deadline (Rosario and Watklins are rehabbing major injuries, and F. Batista and Dent are organizational guys), and in fact Contreras is a virtual lock to get added to the 40.
FWIW, MLB Rule 55 minor league free-agents from other organizations who were originally signed and developed by the Cubs include LHRP Jeff Beliveau (TB), IF-OF Russ Canzler (PHI), OF Tyler Colvin (CHW), RHRP Alberto Cabrera (DET), RHRP Rafael Dolis (DET), C Chadd Krist (MIA), SS Hak-Ju Lee (TB), C Blake Lalli (AZ), RHRP Carlos Marmol (CLE), LHRP Clay Rapada (SF), INF Nate Samson (LAD), INF Marquez Smith (CIN), and 2B Tony Thomas (CHW).
CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS DECLARED MLB RULE 55 FREE-AGENTS AT 5 PM (EASTERN) ON 11-6-2015:
Jeffry Antigua, LHP
Daniel Bard, RHP
Emilio Bonifacio, IF-OF
Drake Britton, LHP
Ryan Buchter, LHP
Luke Carlin, C
Adron Chambers, OF
Pin-Chieh Chen, OF (re-signed by Cubs on 11/6)
Fernando Cruz, RHP
Wes Darvill, INF
Jae-Hoon Ha, RHP (ex-OF)
Jonathon Mota, INF
Blake Parker, RHP
Felipe Paulino, RHP
Felix Pena, RHP (re-signed by Cubs on 11/6)
Starling Peralta, RHP (re-signed by Cubs on 11/6)
Carlos Pimentel, RHP
Andres Santiago, RHP
Chris Valaika, INF
POST-2015 ARTICLE XX-D MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT
Mike Baxter, OF (filed on 10/15)
Quintin Berry, OF (field on 10/28)
Brian Schlitter, RHP (filed on 10/15)
Taylor Teagarden, C (filed on 10/30)
POST-2015 ARTICLE XIX-A MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT
Jonathan Herrera, INF (filed on 10/29)
James Russell, LHP (filed on 10/5)
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So the following 54 57 Cubs minor league players are presently eligible for selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft, unless the player is added to an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) by the November 20th deadline for filing MLB and minor league reserve lists with the MLB Commissioner.
CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION IN DECEMBER 2015 RULE 5 DRAFT (updated 11-10-2015):
Gioskar Amaya, INF-C
John Andreoli, OF
Julian Aybar, RHP
Pedro Araujo, RHP
Jeffrey Baez, OF
Frank Batista, RHP
Corey Black, RHP
David Bote, INF
Matt Brazis, RHP
Stephen Bruno, INF
Jeimer Candelario, INF
Ben Carhart, INF
Erick Castillo, C
Pin-Chieh Chen, OF (re-signed by Cubs 11/6)
Gerardo Concepcion, LHP
Willson Contreras, C
Josh Conway, RHP
Blake Cooper, RHP
Taylor Davis, C
Ryan Dent, INF
Andin Diaz, LHP
Shawon Dunston Jr, OF
Kevin Encarnacion, OF
P. J. Francescon, RHP
Anthony Giansanti, OF
Michael Heesch, LHP
Michael Jensen, RHP
Pierce Johnson, RHP
Danny Lockhart, INF
Mark Malave, RHP (ex-C)
Dillon Maples, RHP
Ricardo Marcano, OF
Trey Martin, OF
Jonathan Martinez, RHP
Alberto Mineo, C
Yomar Morel, RHP
Yoanner Negrin, RHP
Ariel Ovando, LHP (ex-OF)
Juan Carlos Paniagua, RHP
Jose Paulino, LHP
Felix Pena, RHP (re-signed by Cubs 11/6)
Carlos Penalver, INF
Steve Perakslis, RHP
Starling Peralta, RHP (re-signed by Cubs 11/6)
Chris Pieters, OF (ex-LHP)
James Pugliese, RHP
Bijan Rademacher, OF
Jasvir Rakkar, RHP
Austin Reed, RHP
Jacob Rogers, 1B
Jose Rosario, RHP
Alexander Santana, RHP
Tayler Scott, RHP
Daury Torrez, RHP
Roberto Vahlis, C
Dan Vogelbach, 1B
Logan Watkins, INF
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Just to review...
A minor league player can become a free-agent five ways:
1. Outright Release
2. Per Article XX-B of the CBA
3. Per Article XX-D of the CBA
4. Per Article XIX-A of the CBA
5. 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.
ARTICLE XIX-A: Any MLB player who has accrued at least five years of MLB service time (or any international player with Article XIX-A contractual rights) has the right to be a free-agent if the player is optioned or outrighted to the minors. The player can exercise this right upon being optioned or outrighted to the minors, or he can defer the right until after the conclusion of the MLB regular season (he is given three days to decide if he is optioned or 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 XIX-A elects to be a free-agent immediately after being optioned or 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 XIX-A 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 player accepts the Optional or 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. However, an Article XIX-A 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" (6YFA), an unsigned minor league player is automatically declared a free-agent at 5 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series if the player has had his first contract renewed six times and 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/or 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 or winter league and/or the Arizona Fall League (AFL) does not count toward a minor league season if the player otherwise did not accrue a minor league season that year. 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 the 5th day after the final game of the World Series. (The deadline is 5:00 PM Eastern on October 15th if the World Series is canceled).
If an unsigned player on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) is sent outright to the minors prior to January 15th, the player must be tendered a minor league contract by 5 PM (Eastern) on January 15th (or by 5 PM Eastern on January 13th if January 15th falls on a Sunday, or by 5 PM Eastern on January 14th if January 15th falls on a Saturday). If the unsigned outrighted player is not tendered a minor league contract by the deadline, the player will be automatically declared 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, Article XIX-A, or MLB Rule 55 minor league free-agent.
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