2015 Winter Meetings (Day Four) - Rule 5 Draft
12/10 UPDATE:
SELECTED BY CUBS IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE OF 2015 RULE 5 DRAFT
NONE
SELECTED BY CUBS IN A MINOR LEAGUE PHASE OF 2015 RULE 5 DRAFT
1. David Freitas, C (by Cubs AAA Iowa affiliate from Baltimore Orioles AA Bowie affiliate in AAA Phase)
2. Mike O'Neill, OF (by Cubs AAA Iowa affiliate from St Louis Cardinals AA Springfield affiliate in AAA Phase)
3. Jesus Loya, OF (by Cubs AAA Iowa affiliate from Boston Red Sox AA Portland affiliate in AAA Phase)
SELECTED FROM CUBS IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE OF 2015 RULE 5 DRAFT
NONE
SELECTED FROM CUBS IN A MINOR LEAGUE PHASE OF 2015 RULE 5 DRAFT
1. Pin-Chieh Chen, OF (by Cincinnati Reds AAA Louiisville affiliate from Cubs AA Tennessee affiliate in AAA Phase)
2. Ariel Ovando, LHP (by Los Angeles Angels AAA Salt Lake affiliate from Cubs AA Tennessee affiliate in AAA Phase)
3. Julian Aybar, RHP (by New York Yankees AAA Scranton affiliate from Cubs AA Tennessee affiliate in AAA Phase)
4. Michael Heesch, LHP (by St Louis Cardinals AAA Memphis affiliate from Cubs AA Tennessee affiliate in AAA Phase)
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The Rule 5 Draft is a mechanism that allows MLB clubs to select (draft) players off minor league reserve lists. There is a "Major League Phase" where an MLB club can select Rule 5 Draft eligible players off the reserve lists of minor league clubs for $50,000, a "AAA Phase" where a club's AAA minor league affiliate can select Rule 5 Draft eligible players off the reserve lists of minor league clubs of a lower classification for $12,000, and finally a "AA Phase" where a club's AA minor league affiliate can select Rule 5 Draft eligible players off the reserve lists of Class "A" clubs for $4,000.
The 2015 MLB Rule 5 Draft (technically known as the "Rule 5 Selection Meeting") will be the last order of business at the Winter Meetings.
Free-agent RHP Trevor Cahill reportedly agreed to a one-year major league contract with the Cubs a few days ago and veteran INF Brendan Ryan is supposedly the "Player to Be Named Later" (PTBNL) in Tuesday's trade that sent Starlin Castro to the Yankees for RHP Adam Warren and a PTBNL, but neither Cahill nor Ryan have been added to the Cubs MLB Reserve List (AKA "40-man roster") yet. Therefore, the Cubs presently have 39 players on the 40 (one slot is open), so they could select one player in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft. (A club can only select as many players in the Major League Phase of the Rule Draft as the number of open slots on the club's MLB reserve list). If the Cubs do select a player, it could either be for themselves, or for the purpose of trading or selling the rights to the drafted player to another club in a pre-arranged deal (a not uncommon practice). Or another club could select a player in the Rule 5 Draft for the Cubs and then trade or sell rights to the drafted player to the Cubs. Since the Cubs have the 28trh pick in the draft, it's more likely that they would have another club with a more-favorable draft slot make a selection for them and then acquire rights to the drafted player from that club for cash or player(s), than the other-way around.
While no more than 40 players can be assigned to an MLB Reserve List, there is a 38-man reserve list limit for AAA clubs (the reserve list limit is 37 for AA affiliates, and 35 for all affiliates below AA). Typically, most MLB clubs will leave four or five slots open on their AAA affiliate's reserve list when reserve lists are filed in November, for free-agents who might be signed to minor league contracts and for players on the MLB 40-man roster who might get outrighted to the minors prior to the Rule 5 Draft, and for players the club might want to select from other organizations in the AAA Phase of the draft. (A club can only select as many players in the AAA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft as the number of slots that were open on the AAA affiliate's reserve list prior to the start of the Rule 5 Draft).
So figure about 33 or 34 of the Cubs minor leaguers eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft post-2015 were placed on the AAA Iowa reserve list on 11/20 (making them eligible for selection in the Major League Phase only), with maybe 19 or 20 of the Rule 5 Draft-eligible minor leaguers placed on AA or Class-A reserve lists, making those 19 or 20 eligible for selection in the AAA Phase (AA or Class-A players, $12,000 draft price, with no right to re-claim) or in the AA Phase (Class-A players only, $4,000 draft price, with no right to re-claim).
In the 2-1/2 weeks since minor league reserve lists were filed, the Cubs have signed three free-agents--LHP Jeffry Antigua, LHP Luis Parra, and RHP Drew Rucinski--to minor league contracts, making them eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft. Parra and Rucinskli were likely assigned to the AAA Iowa reserve list, and Antigua was likely placed on the AA Tennessee reserve list. So going into today's Rule 5 Draft, there are probably 35 or 36 players on the AAA Iowa reserve list, with maybe two or three slots available (open) in case the Cubs opt to make a selection or two in the AAA Phase of the draft.
Listed below are the 56 Cubs minor leaguers eligible for selection in today's Rule 5 Draft. I have highlighted in bold & underlined the 35 players I suspect are probably on the AAA Iowa reserve list (making them eligible for selection in the Major League Phase of the draft only): The other 21 players are likely available for selection in the AAA Phase (and a couple may even be available for selection in the AA Phase). NOTE: Probably the most-significant Cubs minor leaguer lost in the Rule 5 Draft in recent years was 1B Justin Bour, and he was selected off the AA Tennessee reserve list by the Miami Marlins (for their AAA New Orleans affiliate) in the AAA Phase of the 2013 Rule 5 Draft.
CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION IN DECEMBER 2015 RULE 5 DRAFT :
Gioskar Amaya, INF-C
Jeffry Antigua, LHP
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
Ben Carhart, INF
Erick Castillo, C
Pin-Chieh Chen, OF
Gerardo Concepcion, LHP (Article XX-D player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)
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
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
Luis Parra, LHP
Jose Paulino, LHP
Felix Pena, RHP
Carlos Penalver, INF
Steve Perakslis, RHP
Starling Peralta, RHP (Article XX-D player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)
Chris Pieters, OF (ex-LHP)
James Pugliese, RHP
Bijan Rademacher, OF
Jasvir Rakkar, RHP
Austin Reed, RHP
Jacob Rogers, 1B
Jose Rosario, RHP
Drew Rucinski, RHP (Article XX-D player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)
Alexander Santana, RHP
Tayler Scott, RHP
DauryTorrez, RHP
Roberto Vahlis, C
Logan Watkins, INF (Article XX-D player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)
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RULE 5 DRAFT ELIGIBILITY:
1. A minor league player who was 18 or younger on the June 5th immediately prior to signing his first contract is eligible for selection starting with the 5th Rule 5 Draft after he signs, and a minor league player who was 19 years or older on the June 5th immediately prior to signing his first contract becomes eligible for selection starting with the 4th Rule 5 Draft that followed his signing.
2. If a player signs his first contract after the conclusion of the season of the MLB or minor league club to which he is first assigned, the next season is considered to be the player's "first season" for Rule 5 eligibility purposes.
3. A player eligible to be an MLB Rule 55 minor league free-agent who signs a minor league successor contract prior to being declared a free-agent and a free-agent with prior MLB and/or minor league service who signs a minor league contract prior to the Rule 5 Draft is eligible for selection if the player was 18 or younger on the June 5th immediately prior to signing his first contract and it is at least the 5th Rule 5 Draft since he signed his first contract, or the player was 19 years or older on the June 5th immediately prior to signing his first contract and it is at least the 4th Rule 5 Draft since he signed his first contract.
4. Any player on a minor league reserve list who has either been released or had his contract voided and then re-signs with the same MLB organization within one year is eligible for selection.
5. Any player on a minor league reserve list who has been outrighted to the minors previously in his career is eligible for selection.
6. A player on the Voluntary Retired List, Disqualified List, or Ineligible List is not eligible for selection.
7. An MLB club can designate any player on a minor league reserve list "eligible for selection" in the Rule 5 Draft even if the player would not normally be eligible, but once a player is designated eligible for selection, he remains eligible for selection in all subsequent Rule 5 drafts.
8. A minor league player-manager who would be eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft if he was only a player can be selected, but if he is selected, the player-manager can reject the selection and retire. He has 30 days to decide. If he rejects the selection and opts to retire as a player, the player-manager is ineligible to be reinstated as a player for a minimum of one year.
RULE 5 DRAFT RESTRICTIONS:
1. A minor league player eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft cannot be added to an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster), traded to another organization, or transferred from one minor league reserve list to another within the same organization, starting with the filing of MLB & minor league reserve lists on November 20th up through the conclusion of the Rule 5 Draft.
2. A player cannot be sent outright to the minors on the two days prior to the Rule 5 Draft and on the day of the Rule 5 Draft (through the conclusion of the draft).
3. A club must have as many slots open on its MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) prior to the Rule 5 Draft as the number of players it selects in the Major League Phase, and an MLB club's AAA and AA affiliates must have as many slots open on their respective reserve lists prior to the Rule 5 Draft as the number of players the affiliate selects in the AAA and AA phases of the draft. There is no limit on the number of Rule 5 eligible players any one organization can lose.
4. A player selected in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft must be placed on the drafting club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) immediately, and must be tendered a major league contract by 5 PM (Eastern) on the day of the draft.
5. A player selected in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft can be traded at any time, but the player cannot be released or sent to the minors any earlier than 20 days prior to MLB Opening Day, and then only if Outright Assignment Waivers have been secured and the player's former club declines to re-claim the player.
6. If a player selected in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft spends at least 90 days on an MLB Active List during the MLB regular season following selection, Rule 5 restrictions are removed at the conclusion of the MLB regular season. If time spent on an MLB Active List is less than 90 days in the season following selection, the player remains a Rule 5 player into the next season, and the player continues to be a Rule 5 player until he has spent 90 days total on an MLB Active List.
7. If a club wishes to send a Rule 5 player to the minors before Rule 5 restrictions have been removed, the player must be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers, where any of the other 29 MLB clubs can claim the player for the $25,000 Rule 5 waiver price and assume the Rule 5 obligations.
8. If the Rule 5 player is not claimed off Outright Waivers, the player then must be offered back to the club from which he was drafted, and the player's former club can reclaim the player for $25,000, with the player being automatically outrighted to the Reserve List of the minor league club from which he was drafted. The club from which the player was drafted usually has 72 hours to decide whether to reclaim the player, but it has only 24 hours to decide if the player is eligible to be an Article XX-D Free-Agent if outrighted to the minors (player has accrued at least three years of MLB Service Time, qualifies for salary arbitration as a "Super Two" player, and/or has been outrighted to the minors previously in his career).
9. If a Rule 5 player is returned (outrighted) to the minor league club from which he was drafted, the drafting club is responsible for any portion of the player's salary above what the player was paid the previous season.
10. If a Rule 5 Player is returned (outrighted) to the minor league club from which he was drafted, and if the player has accrued at least three years of MLB Service Time, qualifies for salary arbitration as a "Super Two" player, and/or has been outrighted to the minors previously in his career, the player can elect to be an MLB Article XX-D minor league free-agent after being outrighted (he has three days to decide), or he can accept the Outright Assignment and defer the right to be a minor league free-agent until after the conclusion of the MLB regular season. (An outrighted "Super Two" Rule 5 player who has not previously been outrighted to the minors can elect free-agency if he is outrighted to the minors, but he cannot defer free-agency until after the conclusion of the MLB regular season).
11. If the club from which the player was drafted declines to reclaim the player, the Rule 5 restrictions are removed, the drafting club retains the player, and the player can be sent to the minors or released.
12. A player selected in the AAA or AA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft must be assigned to the Reserve List of the AAA or AA club that drafted the player, but the player can be assigned to the Active List of any minor league affiliate in the MLB club's organization once the minor league regular season commences. Also, unlike players selected in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft, a player selected in the AAA or AA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft does not have to be offered back to the club from which he was drafted if the player is ultimately assigned to the Active List of a minor league affiliate below the level of the minor league affiliate that drafted the player.
13. A club can select a player off the reserve list of one of its own minor league affiliates, but if the player is selected in the Major League Phase, the club is bound by the same Rule 5 roster restrictions as if it had selected the player off the reserve list of another club's minor league affiliate.
14. A player eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft cannot be "covered up" from selection, either by agreement between two clubs or by effect. Also, a player selected in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft cannot be "hidden" on a Disabled List to help the drafting club fulfill Rule 5 roster obligations. If the MLB Commissioner believes a club "covered up" a player to avoid losing the player in the Rule Draft or "hid" a selected player on a Disabled List, the offending club or clubs are subject to a penalty (TBD by the MLB Commissioner).
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