Cubs Finalize AAA Reserve List for Rule 5 Draft
12/14 UPDATE:
SELECTED BY CUBS IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE:
NONE
CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS SELECTED IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE:
Pedro Araujo, RHP (selected by Baltimore Orioles from Cubs AAA Iowa reserve list)
CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS SELECTED IN AAA PHASE:
Andrew Ely, INF (selected by New York Mets for AAA Las Vegas affiliate from Cubs AA Tennessee reserve list)
Chris Nunn, LHP (selected by Houston Astros for AAA Fresno affiliate from Cubs AA Tennessee reserve list)
Alberto Mineo, C (selected by Toronto Blue Jays for AAA Buffalo affiliate from Cubs AA Tennessee reserve list)
PLAYERS SELECTED BY CUBS IN AAA PHASE:
NONE
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12/13 UPDATE:
The 2017 MLB Rule 5 Draft will be the last order of "official" business at the Winter Meetings tomorrow morning (Thursday).
At present the Cubs have three slots open on their MLB reserve list (40-man roster) so they could make as many as three selections in the Majpr League Phase (although it's likely they will make - AT MOST - one), and (presuming Alberto Baldonado's contract has not yet been filed with the MLB Commissioner) one slot is open on the AAA Iowa 38-man reserve list such that the Cubs could make (at most) one selection in the AAA Phase.
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12/8 UPDATE: The Cubs have signed post-2017 minor league 6YFA LHRP Alberto Baldonado (ex-NYM) to a 2018 minor league contract and he has been assigned to AAA Iowa, so the AAA Iowa reserve list is now full.
If the Cubs wait until after the Rule 5 Draft to file the contract with the MLB Commissioner (clubs have up to 20 days to file from the date the player signs), Baldonado would not count against the Iowa reserve list and the Cubs would be able to make one selection in the AAA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft. However, Baldonado would still be eligible for selection in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft (would be listed on Iowa reserve list as "contract pending").
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11/21 ORIGINAL POST:
In addition to deciding yesterday which players to add to their MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft, the Cubs also had to decide which Rule 5 Draft-eligible players to place on the 38-man AAA Iowa reserve list.
The decision whether to place a Rule 5 Draft-eligible player on the AAA Iowa reserve list or on the AA Tennessee reserve list matters because Rule 5 Draft-eligible players on AAA reserve lists can only be selected in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft ($100,000 draft price with a right to possibly eventually re-claim player for $50,000), but Rule 5 Draft-eligible players on reserve lists of affiliates below AAA can be selected in the AAA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft ($24,000 draft price with no right to re-claim).
The Cubs have actually lost many more players in the AAA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft (most-notably 1B Justin Bour) than they have in the Major League Phase over the past few years, a testament to the depth of their farm system. They are likely to lose a few more players in the AAA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft this year as well.(While the top of the Cubs farm system has either graduated to MLB or been traded, the length and depth of the Cubs farm system is still there).
At most only - 38 - players can be placed on the AAA Iowa Reserve List (Rule 5 Draft-eligible players on the AAA Iowa Restricted List do not count against the AAA reserve list limit), and clubs usually leave around five slots open on their AAA affiliate's reserve list for minor league free-agents who are signed and for players who might be outrighted in the weeks prior to the Rule 5 Draft draft, and for players the club might select in the AAA Phase (a club must have as many slots open on its AAA affiliate's reserve list prior to the start of the draft as players selected by the club in the AAA Phase of the draft).
The Cubs assigned 37 of their Rule 5 Draft-eligible minor league players to the Iowa Reserve List yesterday (not counting ten players on the AAA Iowa Restricted List), and these 37 players (plus the ten Rule 5 Draft-eligible players on the Iowa Restricted List) can only be selected in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft. So only one slot has been left open on the AAA Iowa Reserve List for a free-agent who might be signed to a minor league contract or a player who might get outrighted to the minors prior to the Rule 5 Draft, or for a player (only one) the Cubs might wish to select in the AAA Phase. (RHSP Williams Perez re-signed with the Cubs yesterday and was player #37 assigned to the Iowa Reserve List).
Once the minor league reserve lists are submitted to the MLB office, players cannot be moved from one minor league reserve list to another until the conclusion of the Rule 5 Draft.
The remaining 24 Rule 5 Draft-eligible Cubs minor leaguers were assigned to the AA Tennessee Reserve List, and so those 24 players are eligible for selection in the AAA Phase of the 2017 Rule 5 Draft ($24,000 draft price with no right to re-claim).
And there were some surprises
Probably the most-notable Cubs minor leaguers who will be available for selection in the AAA Phase are RHRP Luis Aquino, INF Gioskar Amaya, C-1B Cael Brockmeyer, INF Stephen Bruno, RHSP Enrique de los Rios, RHRP (ex-C) Mark Malave, LHP Chris Nunn, RHP Steve Perakslis, RHP James Pugliese, C Will Remillard, C Ali Solis, and LHRP Tommy Thorpe.
Enrique de los Rios probably has the highest upside of the 24, so look for him to be one of the first Cubs selected in the AAA Phase. And Stephen Bruno will almost certainly get poached by a club looking for a AAA utility player who can hit. James Pugliese and Stephen Perakslis are versatile SP/RP "swingmen" who should get some attention from other organizations, and Ali Solis could be attractive to a club looking for a veteran AAA back-up catcher.
So I would expect the Cubs to lose at least four players (maybe more) in the AAA Phase.
LAST UPDATED 12-8-2017
CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE (ONLY) OF RULE 5 DRAFT:
Tyler Alamo, C-1B
Pedro Araujo, RHP (signed 2018 minor league successor contract)
Delbis Arcila, 1B (AAA Iowa Restricted List - last active in 2013)
Luis Ayala, OF
Jeffrey Baez, OF (signed 2018 minor league successor contract)
Yasiel Balaguert, 1B-O
Alberto Baldonado, LHP (ex-NYM - signed 2018 minor league contract after being declared minor league FA on 11/6)
Corey Black, RHP
Charcer Burks, OF
Trevor Clifton, RHP
Elvis Diaz, RHP (previously released by BAL - second-contract player signed for 2018)
Rafael Diplan, RHP (AAA Iowa Restricted List - last active in 2013)
Mike Freeman, INF (Article XX-D player - signed 2018 minor league contract after being declared minor league FA on 11/6)
David Garner, RHP
Izaac Garsez, OF (AAA Iowa Restricted List - last active in 2012)
Yapson Gomez, LHP
Mike Hamann, RHP (AAA Iowa Restricted List)
Justin Hancock, RHP (signed 2018 minor league successor contract)
Jacob Hannemann, OF (Article XX-D player)
Zach Hedges, RHP
David Henrie, RHP (AAA Iowa Restricted List - last active in 2012)
Jesse Hodges, INF
Erick Leal, RHP
Brad Markey, RHP
Joe Martarano, 1B-OF
Ryan McNeil, RHP
Jordan Minch, LHP
Erling Moreno, RHP
James Norwood, RHP
Amaury Paulino, RHP (AAA Iowa Restricted List - last active in 2012)
Jose Paulino, LHP
Carlos Penalver, INF (signed 2018 minor league successor contract)
Jhonny Pereda, C-1B
Williams Perez,RHP (signed 2018 minor league contract after being declared minor league FA on 11/6)
Chris Pieters, OF-1B
Bijan Rademacher, OF
Manuel Rondon, LHP
Jose Rosario, RHP (signed 2018 minor league contract after being released in September)
Carson Sands, LHP
Pedro Silverio, RHP (AAA Restricted List - last active in 2017)
Brian Smith, LHP (AAA Iowa Restricted List - last active in 2013)
Jake Stinnett, RHP
Daury Torrez, RHP (signed 2018 minor league successor contract)
Roberto Vahlis (AAA Iowa Restricted List - last active in 2015)
Dilson Vasquez, RHP (AAA Iowa Restricted List - last active in 2014)
Jason Vosler, INF
Ryan Williams, RHP
Chesny Young, INF
CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION IN AAA PHASE OF RULE 5 DRAFT
Gioskar Amaya, INF (signed 2018 minor league successor contract)
Luis Aquino, RHP (previously released by CLE - second-contract player signed for 2018)
Cael Brockmeyer, C-1B
Stephen Bruno, INF
Roberto Caro, OF
Erick Castillo, C
Kevin Cornelius, INF
Yan de la Cruz, RHP (previously released by HOU - second-contract player signed for 2018)
Enrique de los Rios, RHP
Andrew Ely, INF
Luiz Escanio, RHP
Miguel Estevez, RHP (previously released by CIN - second-sontract player in 2018)
Robert Garcia, OF
Mark Malave, RHP (ex-C)
Alberto Mineo, C-1B (signed 2018 minor league successor contract)
Chris Nunn, LHP (previously released by SD - second-contract player signed for 2018)
Adonis Paula, INF
Tyler Pearson, C
Henrry Pedra, INF
Stephen Perakslis, RHP
James Pugliese, RHP (signed 2018 minor league successor contract)
Will Remillard, C
Ali Solis, C (signed 2018 minor league successor contract)
Tommy Thorpe, LHP
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MLB RULE 5 DRAFT
The MLB Rule 5 Draft is presently the last order of business at the MLB WINTER MEETINGS in December, and it 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 (any minor league classification) for $100,000 ("Major League Phase" Rule 5 Draft price increased from $50,000 to $100,000 beginning with the December 2016 draft), and 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 (below AAA) for $24,000 (Rule 5 "AAA Phase" draft price increased from $12,000 to $24,000 beginning with the December 2016 draft).
NOTE: Effective December 2016, the "AA Phase" (where a club's AA minor league affiliate could select Rule 5 Draft-eligible players off the reserve lists of minor league clubs of a classification below AA for $4,000) has been eliminated.
There is no limit on the number of rounds in each phase (there could be one, there could be three, there could be five or more). As long as at least one club is still selecting players, the phase will continue, but as soon as all 30 teams have a full reserve list (so that clubs can no longer make selections) or have passed, the phase is over.
There is no limit on the number of Rule 5 Draft-eligible players any one organization can lose in a Rule 5 Draft.
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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 following his first qualified season, 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 following his first qualified season.
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 (even if he signs prior to the Rule 5 Draft), the next season is considered to be the player's "first qualified season" for Rule 5 eligibility purposes. (Depending on the minor league, the conclusion of a minor league club's season could be as early as the first week of August, or as late as the second week of September).
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.
NOTE: A club might do this if the club is planning to release the player during the off-season.
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.
Additionally, any player eligible to be an MLB Rule 55 Six-Year Minor League Free-Agent (6YFA) post-2017 who signs a 2018 minor league contract or a 2018 minor league successor contract prior to the December 2017 Rule 5 Draft will be eligible for selection, and any player eligible to be an MLB Rule 55 Second Contract Minor League Free-Agent who signs a minor league contract or a minor league successor contract prior to the Rule 5 Draft will be 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 following his first qualified season, 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 following his first qualified season.
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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 (or November 19th if November 20th falls on a Saturday or November 18th if November 20th falls on a Sunday) up through the conclusion of the Rule 5 Draft.
2. A Rule 5 Draft-eligible player cannot be sent outright to the minors beginning at 5 PM (Eastern) on the third day prior to 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 affiliate must have as many slots open on its reserve list prior to the Rule 5 Draft as the number of players the affiliate selects in the AAA Phase.
4. 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.
NOTE: This actually happened at least once a number of years ago, after a club inadvertently left one of its top prospects off its MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) when it was submitted to the MLB Commissioner on November 20th.
5. 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 (such as by concocting a phony injury and placing the player on the disabled list in an attempt to decrease a player's value when the player is not really injured). 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 (such as by leaving the player on the DL after he is healthy enough to play). 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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MLB RULE 6: SELECTED PLAYER
A "Selected Player" is any player selected in the Major League Phase of the MLB Rule 5 Draft.
1. A Selected Player must be placed on the drafting club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) immediately after selection and must be tendered a major league contract by 5 PM (Eastern) on the day of the draft.
2. A Selected Player can be traded at any time, but the player cannot be Designated for Assignment, 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 reclaim the player.
3. If a Selected Player spends at least 90 days on an MLB Active List during the MLB regular season following selection, the player ceases to be a "Selected Player" 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 6 Selected Player into the next season, and the player continues to be a Selected Player until he has spent 90 days total on an MLB Active List.
4. If a club wishes to send a Selected Player to the minors, the player must be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers, where any of the other 29 MLB clubs can claim the player for the $50,000 Rule 6 waiver price (formerly $25,000), and if claimed off waivers, the player continues to have Rule 6 Selected Player status.
5. If the Selected 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 re-claim the player for $50,000 (formerly $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 re-claim the player, but it has only 24 hours to decide if the player is eligible to be an Article XX-D or Article XIX-A minor league 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). NOTE: A Selected Player with Article XIX-A rights (player has accrued at least five years of MLB Service Time) cannot be re-claimed and outrighted back to the minor league club from which he was drafted unless the player consents in advance to the assignment.
6. If a Selected 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 (or Article XIX-A minor league free-agent if the player has accrued at least five years of MLB Service Time) 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 Selected Player with "Super Two" rights 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).
7. If a Selected 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.
8. If the club from which the Selected Player was drafted declines to re-claim the player, the player no longer has Rule 6 Selected Player status, the drafting club retains the player, and the player can be sent to the minors or released.
9. A player selected in the AAA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft must be assigned to the Reserve List of the AAA club that drafted the player and he must be given a 15-day trial during Spring Training with that club, 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 Phase 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 AAA.
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