
12/10 UIPDATE:
SELECTED BY CUBS IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE OF 2020 RULE 5 DRAFT:
Gray Fenter, RHP (selected by Cubs from Baltimore Orioles AAA Norfolk roster)
CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS SELECTED IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE OF 2020 RULE 5 DRAFT
NONE
PLAYERS SELECTED BY CUBS IN AAA PHASE OF 2020 RULE 5 DRAFT :
1. Nicholas Padilla, RHP (selected by Cubs for AAA Iowa from Tampa Bay Rays Hi-A Charlotte roster)
2. Samuel Reyes, RHP (selected by Cubs for AAA Iowa from Pittsburgh Pirates Hi-A Bradenton roster)
CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS SELECTED IN AAA PHASE OF 2020 RULE 5 DRAFT:
1. Yunior Perez, RHP (selected by Detroit Tigers for AAA Toledo from Cubs AA Tennessee roster)
2. Jeffrey Passantino, RHP (selected by Pittsburgh Pirates for AAA Indianapolis from Cubs AA Tennessee roster)
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12/2 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed another free-agent to a 2021 minor league contract:
OF Michael Hermosillo (has Article XX-D rights) - 1+016 MLB ST & no minor league options left if added to the 40
Hermosillo will likely receive an NRI to MLB Spring Training in 2021. Also, he will be eligible for selection in next week's MLB Rule 5 Draft.
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11/20 UPDATE:
The Cubs have selected the contracts of RHSP Cory Abbott, INF Christopher Morel, and RHSP Keegan Thompson, and they have been added to the MLB Reserve List (40-man roster).
Each will have Draft-Excluded Status during the off-season (player cannot be optioned or outrighted to the minors any earlier than 20 days prior to MLB Opening Day), and because they did not accrue any MLB Service Time in 2020, any of the three can be sent to the minors (by optional or outright assignment) - EVEN IF INJURED - as long as the assignment is made no earlier than 20 days prior to MLB Opening Day and then up until 15 days prior to MLB Opening Day
So the Cubs MLB Reserve List now stands at 37 (three slots are open).
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11/18 UPDATE:
The Cubs have two more free-agents to a 2021 minor league contract:
OF Ian Miller (has Article XX-D rights) - 0+035 MLB ST & three minor league options left if added to the 40
LHSP D. J. Snelten (has Article XX-D rights) - 0+018 MLB ST & two minor league options left if added to the 40
Both I. Miller and Snelten will likely receive an NRI to MLB Spring Training in 2021 (just as Miller did in 2020 after signing a minor league contract with the Cubs last off-season).
Also, both I. Miller and Snelten will be eligible for selection in next month's MLB Rule 5 Draft.
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11/17 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed four free-agents to 2021 minor league contracts:
C Taylor Gushue - has never been on an MLB reserve list
RHRP Jake Jewell (has Article XX-D rights) - 0+151 MLB ST & one minor league option left if added to the 40
OF Rafael Ortega (has Article XX-D rights) - 1+014 MLB ST & no minor league options left if added to the 40
LHRP Jerry Vasto (has Article XX-D rights) - 0+037 MLB ST & two minor league options left if added to the 40
All four will likely be extended an NRI to MLB Spring Training.
Ortega is out of minor league options if he is added to the Cubs MLB 40-man roster at some point next season, and Jewell, Ortega, and Vasto have been outrighted previously in their careers so they can elect free-agency if added to the 40 and then subsequently are outrighted.
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11/5 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed free-agent INF Abiatal Avelino to a 2021 minor league contract and he has been assigned to the AAA Iowa Reserve List. He was released by the San Francisaco Giants in September.
Avelino has accrued 0+037 MLB ST and has two minor league options left if he were to be added to the MLB 40-man roster. He also has Article XX-D rights (he has been outrighted previously in his career so he can elect free-agency if he were to be added to an MLB 40-man roster and then subsequently outrighted).
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11/3 ORIGINAL POST:
The MLB Rule 5 Draft is held on the 2nd Thursday in December and is presently the last order of business at the MLB WINTER MEETINGS. 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.
Rule 5 Draft order is based upon the inverse order of winning percentages from the previous season. If the winning percentages of two or more clubs are the same, the club with the lowest winning percentage from the previous season picks first. If two or more clubs are still tied, league standings from two years back (or three years back, four years back, etc) are used to break the tie.
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 a 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.
CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS ELIGIBLE FOR SELECTION IN 2020 RULE 5 DRAFT (last updated 12-2-2020)
Aramis Ademan, INF
Maikel Aguiar, RHP
Jose Albertos, RHP
Javier Assad, RHP
Abiatal Avelino, INF (Article XX-D player) - signed 2021 minor league contract
Cam Balego, C-INF
Craig Brooks, RHP
Jesus Camargo, RHP
Bailey Clark, RHP
Danis Correa, RHP
Yovanny Cuevas, OF
Zach Davis, OF
Donnie Dewees, OF
Christian Donahue, INF
Scott Effross, RHP
Juan Gamez, RHP (second-contract FA) - signed 2021 minor league contract
Trent Giambrone, IF-OF
Taylor Gushue, C - post-2020 minor league 6YFA - signed 2021 minor league contract
Jose Gutierrez, OF
Ben Hecht, RHP
Ferrol Heredia, LHP
Michael Hermosillo, OF (Article XX-D player) - signed 2021 minor league contract
P. J. Higgins, C-INF
Bryan Hudson, LHP
Brandon Hughes, LHP (ex-OF)
Jake Jewell, RHP (Article XX-D player) - post-2020 minor league 6YFA - signed 2021 minor league contract
Ryan Kellogg, LHP
Fernando Kelli, OF
Garrett Kelly, RHP - second-contract player signed for 2021
Ryan Lawlor, LHP - second-contract player signed for 2021
Brendon Little, LHP
Luis Lugo, LHP - signed 2021 minor league successor contract
Eddy Julio Martinez, OF
Hector Matos, RHP (Restricted List)
Trevor Megill, RHP (Article XX-D player)
Fidel Mejia, INF
Dakota Mekkes, RHP
Ian Miller, OF (Article XX-D player) - post-2020 Article XX-D minor league FA - signed 2021 minor league contract
Connor Myers, OF
Tommy Nance, RHP
Carlos Ocampo, RHP
Rafael Ortega, OF (Article XX-D player) - post-2020 minor league 6YFA - signed 2021 minor league contract
Jeffrey Passantino, RHP
Tyler Payne, C
C. D. Pelham, LHP (Article XX-D player)
Raymond Pena, C
Henderson Perez, C
Yunior Perez, RHP
Yonathan Perlaza, INF
Gustavo Polanco, C-1B
Eury Ramos, RHP
Peyton Remy, RHP
Duncan Robinson, RHP
Aneuris Rosario, RHP
Michael Rucker, RHP (Article XX-D player)
Wyatt Short, LHP
Jonathan Sierra, OF
D. J. Snelten, LHP (Article XX-D player) - signed 2021 minor league contract
Jerrick Suiter, RHP (ex-1B) - signed 2021 minor league successor contract
Matt Swarmer, RHP
Erich Uelmen, RHP
Didier Vargas, LHP
Juan Vasquez, C - second contract player signed for 2021
Jerry Vasto, LHP (Article XX-D player) - post-2020 minor league 6YFA - signed 2021 minor league contract
Vance Vizcaino, OF - second contract player signed for 2021
Joe Wieland, RHP (Article XX-D player) - signed 2021 minor league successor contract -
D. J. Wilson, OF
Jared Young, 1B-OF
Delvin Zinn, INF
Additionally, a free-agent who signs a 2021 minor league contract prior to the 2020 Rule 5 Draft will be eligible for selection in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft 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 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 start of 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 start of the AAA Phase of 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 (Atlanta Braves) inadvertently left one of its top prospects off its MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) when minor league reserve lists were 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 an Injured 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 an Injured List to help the drafting club fulfill Rule 5 roster obligations (such as by leaving the player on the Injured List 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 an Injured 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.
CoViD-19 EXCEPTION: If a Selected Player spends at least 50 days on an MLB Active List during the 2020 MLB regular season, the player ceases to be a "Selected Player" at the conclusion of the 2020 MLB regular season. If time spent on an MLB Active List in 2020 is less than 50 days, 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 50 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 Assignment 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.
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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MLB RULE 6: DRAFT-EXCLUDED PLAYER
A "Draft-Excluded Player" is any minor league player who has accrued less than three years of MLB Service Time and who is eligible for selection in the MLB Rule 5 Draft, whose contract is selected, and who is added to an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) between August 15th and the Rule 5 Draft.
CoViD-19 EXCEPTION: A "Draft-Excluded Player" is any minor league player who has accrued less than three years of MLB Service Time and who is eligible for selection in the 2020 MLB Rule 5 Draft, whose contract is selected, and who is added to an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) between August 31, 2020, and the 2020 MLB Rule 5 Draft.
1. A Draft-Excluded Player can be non-tendered on 12/2, released, or traded at any time, but he cannot be sent to the minors by Optional Assignment beginning with the conclusion of the MLB regular season up until 20 days prior to MLB Opening Day.
2. A Draft-Excluded Player can be sent outright to the minors only if Outright Assignment Waivers are requested no later than 2 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day following the final game of the World Series, and if a Draft-Excluded Player is not outrighted to the minors prior to the Rule 5 Draft, the player cannot be sent outright to the minors any earlier than 20 days prior to the start of the MLB regular season.
CUBS PLAYERS WITH POST-2020 RULE 6 DRAFT-EXCLUDED STATUS: (last updated 11-20-2020)
Cory Abbott, RHP
Brailyn Marquez, LHP
Christopher Morel, INF
Keegan Thompson, RHP
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2020 MLB RULE 5 DRAFT
The Cubs must decide by November 20th which 2020 Rule 5 Draft-eligible players (including any player eligible to be a minor league free-agent post-2020 who signed a 2021 minor league successor contract) to add their MLB 40-man roster (to keep the player from being eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft).
Keep in mind that any minor league player eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft who has his contract selected and is added to an MLB 40-man roster after August 31st (was August 15th in previous seasons) has Draft-Excluded status, meaning the player cannot be sent to the minors (outrighted or optioned) any earlier than 20 days prior to MLB Opening Day, so a roster slot on the 40 that is allocated to a Rule 5 Draft-eligible player by the 11/20 deadline would effectively be locked and unavailable for the duration of the off-season and much of Spring Training.
The Cubs also must decide by November 20th whether to place a 2020 Rule 5 Draft-eligible minor league player who is not added to the MLB 40-man roster on 11/20 on their AAA Iowa reserve list or on the reserve list of an affiliate of a lower classification (usually AA, but somtimes single-A). At most 38 of the 2020 Rule 5 Draft-eligible Cubs minor leaguers can be placed on the AAA Iowa Reserve List on 11/20. However, although the AAA Reserve List limit is 38, probably more like 35 of the Rule 5 Draft-eligible players will actually be placed on the AAA Iowa reserve list on 11/20 (the Cubs placed 35 players on their AAA Iowa reserve list in both 2018 and 2019), because slots need to be left open for players the Cubs might want to select in the AAA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft, as well as for free-agents signed to minor league contracts or players outrighted to the minors after 11/20 but prior to the Rule 5 Draft. (Any Rule 5 Draft-eligible player who signs a 2021 minor league contract prior to the Rule 5 Draft will be eligible for selection). Any 2020 Rule 5 Draft-eligible Cubs minor leaguer who is not added to the MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) or placed on the AAA Iowa Reserve List on or before 11/20 will be eligible for selection in the AAA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft).
Last year the Cubs had seven slots open on their MLB 40-man roster after the departure of their Article XX-B MLB free-agents (Barnette, Castellanos, X. Cedeno, Cishek, Hamels, D. Holland, Kintzler, Lucroy, Morrow, Phelps, Strop, and Zobrist) after the conclusion of the World Series. The Cubs outrighted RHRP Allen Webster to AAA Iowa and selected the contract of RHSP Colin Rea (who otherwise would have been declared a minor league 6YFA) from AAA Iowa prior to the 5 PM (Eastern) deadline on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series, and then with seven slots still open on the 40 on 11/20, they selected the contracts of only four of their Rule 5 Draft eligible minor leaguers (C Miguel Amaya, RHSP Tyson Miller, RHRP Manuel Rodriguez, and SS Zack Short), leaving three slots open for a cash trade (RHSP Jharel Cotton acquired from OAK), a waiver claim (LHP C. D. Pelham claimed off waivers from TEX), and a Rule 5 Draft pick (RHRP Trevor Megill, selected from SD).
During the course of the 2020 season the Cubs added just one player to the 40 who was eligible for selection in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft (LHP Brailyn Marquez, on the last day of the MLB regular season). Marquez is considered to be the Cubs top pitching prospect, so adding him to the 40 was going to happen on 11/20 anyway.
Back in 2018 the Cubs added just one Rule 5 Draft-eligible player (LHP Justin Steele) to the 40 on 11/20, after adding one (RHRP James Norwood) during the course of the 2018 MLB regular season. That's it. Just two. Another Cubs 2018 Rule 5 Draft-eligible player (3B Jason Vosler) was traded to the San Diego Padres for RHRP Rowan Wick on 11/20 (Wick required a slot on the 40 because he was a Draft-Excluded player).
By comparison, during the course of the 2017 MLB regular season the Cubs added four players to the 40 (RHP Dylan Floro, RHRP Dillon Maples, RHSP Jen-Ho Tseng, and OF Mark Zagunis) who would have been eligible for selection in the December 2017 Rule 5 Draft, although Floro was subsequently claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
NOTE: INF-OF Ian Happ was also added to the Cubs MLB 40-man roster during the 2017 season, but he would not have been eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft until post-2018.
The Cubs then added three more post-2017 Rule 5 Draft-eligibles (RHSP Adbert Alzolay, INF David Bote, and RHSP Oscar de la Cruz) to the 40 on 11/20 of 2017, Bote after hitting a robust 333/395/536 for the Mesa Solar Sox in the post-season Arizona Fall League. (It's not unusual for the Cubs to assign a Rule 5 Draft-eligible player to the Arizona Fall League, as the AFL is often used as a "proving ground" for pitchers and position-players who are under consideration for promotion to an MLB 40-man roster). However, the AFL season was canceled (as was the entire minor league season) in 2020 due to the CoViD-19 pandemic, although the Cubs are fielding a team in Arizona Instructional League .
So keeping in mind that a free-agent who signs a 2021 minor league contract prior to the Rule 5 Draft (TBD) will also be eligible, - AS THINGS STAND RIGHT NOW - here is my preliminary projected minor league reserve list assignments for the Cubs 2020 Rule 5 Draft eligible minor leaguers who are not likely to be added to the 40 in November (so lists that follow do not include Abbott, Morel, and Higgins)
Last updated 12-2-2020
LIKELY ON AAA IOWA RESERVE LIST - AVAILABLE IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE ONLY (WITH POTENTIAL RIGHT TO RE-CLAIM)
Aramis Ademan, SS
Jose Albertos, RHSP
Abiatal Avelino, INF (Article XX-D player) - signed 2021 minor league contract
Craig Brooks, RHRP
Bailey Clark, RHRP
Danis Correa, RHRP
Donnie Dewees, OF
Juan Gamez, RHRP - signed 2021 minor league contract
Trent Giambrone, INF-OF
Taylor Gushue, C - post-2020 minor league FA - signed 2021 minor league contract
Ben Hecht, RHRP
Michael Hermosillo, OF (Article XX-D player) - post-2020 minor league FA - signed 2021 minor league contract
P. J. Higgins, C-INF
Bryan Hudson, LHRP
Jake Jewell, RHP (Article XX-D player) - post-2020 minor league FA - signed 2021 minor league contract
Brendon Little, LHSP
Luis Lugo, LHRP - signed 2021 minor league successor contract
Eddy Julio Martinez, OF
Hector Matos, RHSP (on Restricted List - does not count against AAA 38-man roster limit)
Trevor Megill, RHRP (Article XX-D player) - signed 2021 minor league contract
Dakota Mekkes, RHRP
Ian Miller, OF (Article XX-D player) - post-2020 minor league contract - signed 2021 minor league contract)
Rafael Ortega, OF (Article XX-D player) - post-2020 minor league FA - signed 2021 minor league contract
Yonathan Perlaza, OF (ex-INF)
Eury Ramos, RHSP
Peyton Remy, RHSP
Duncan Robinson, RHSP
Aneuris Rosario, RHRP
Michael Rucker, RHRP (Article XX-D player)
Wyatt Short, LHRP
D. J. Snelten, LHSP (Article XX-D player) - post-2020 minor league FA - signed 2021 minor league cntract
Jerrick Suiter, RHRP (ex-1B) - signed 2021 minor league successor contract
Matt Swarmer, RHSP
Erich Uelmen, RHSP
Jerry Vasto, LHRP (Article XX-D player) - post-2020 minor league FA - signed 2021 minor leaguie contract
Joe Wieland, RHRP (Article XX-D player) - signed 2021 minor league contract
Jared Young, 1B-OF
LIKELY ON AA TENNESSEE RESERVE LIST - AVAILABLE IN AAA PHASE (NO RIGHT TO RE-CLAIM IF SELECTED):
Maikel Aguiar, RHRP
Javier Assad, RHP
Cam Balego, C-INF
Jesus Camargo, RHRP
Yovanny Cuevas, OF
Zach Davis, OF
Christian Donahue, INF
Scott Effross, RHP
Jose Gutierrez, OF
Ferrol Heredia, LHSP
Brandon Hughes, LHRP (ex-OF)
Fernando Kelli, OF
Ryan Kellogg, LHRP
Garrett Kelly, RHRP - second contract player signed for 2021
Ryan Lawlor, LHRP - second contract player signed for 2021
Fidel Mejia, IB-3B
Connor Myers, OF
Tommy Nance, RHRP
Carlos Ocampo, RHSP
Jeffrey Passantino, RHSP
Tyler Payne, C
C. D. Pelham, LHRP (Article XX-D player)
Raymond Pena, C
Henderson Perez, C
Yunior Perez, RHSP
Gustavo Polanco, C-1B
Jonathan Sierra, OF
Didier Vargas, LHSP
Juan Vasquez, C - second contract player signed for 2021
Vance Vizcaino, OF - second contract player signed for 2021
D. J. Wilson, OF
Delvin Zinn, INF
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CUBS MLB RULE 5 DRAFT HISTORY
Among the more-notable players selected by the Cubs in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft over the years are OF Hack Wilson (selected from the New York Giants in 1925), C Bob Scheffing (selected from the St. Louis Cardinals in 1940), RHP Johnny Klippstein (selected from the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949), RHP Turk Lown (selected from the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951), OF Jim King (selected from the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954), INF Johnny Goryl (selected from the Baltimore Orioles in 1955), OF Monte Irvin (selected from the New York Giants in 1955), C Cal Neeman (selected from the New York Giants in 1956), 2B Tony Taylor (selected from the San Francisco Giants in 1957), C Cuno Barragon (a "first-year player" selected from the Milwaukee Braves in 1960), 2B Glenn Beckert (a "first-year player" selected from the Boston Red Sox in 1962), OF Byron Browne (a "first-year player" selected from the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1963), SS Jose Arcia and C Bill Plummer (both selected from the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967), OF Cleo James (selected from the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1969), LHP Willie Hernandez (selected from the Philadelphia Phillies in 1976), C Jody Davis (selected from the St. Louis Cardinals in 1980), RHP Rodney Myers (selected from the Kansas City Royals in 1995), OF Josh Hamilton (selected from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and then traded to the Cincinnati Reds in a pre-arranged deal immediately after the draft concluded in 2006), and RHP Hector Rondon (selected from the Cleveland Indians in 2012).
NOTE: All amateur players -- not just bonus players -- signed by MLB clubs between December 5,1958 and August 1, 1968 who were not added to an MLB 40-man roster after the player's first "qualified season" in the minors were eligible for selection (for a discount $8,000 draft price from the then-standard $25,000 Major League Phase draft price) in a special "First-Year Player" Phase of the Rule 5 Draft, and that's how the Cubs were able to acquire Barragan, Beckert, and Browne. (A player was eligible for selection as a "first-year player" only once, and if he wasn't selected, he would fall under standard Rule 5 Draft eligibility rules after that, where the player was eligible for selection beginning with the third Rule 5 Draft after the player's first "qualified season," with a player's first qualified season depending on whether he signed his first contract before or on/after August 1st).
Probably the most-notable Cubs minor leaguers lost in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft are 2B Eddie Mayo (selected by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1942), INF Billy Klaus (selected by the Boston Braves in 1949), RHP Billy Muffett (selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1955), OF Jason Dubois (selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002 but then later re-claimed by Cubs), LHP Andy Sisco (selected by the Kansas City Royals in 2004), RHP Randy Wells (selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2007 but then later re-claimed by the Cubs), LHP Donnie Veal (selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008), INF Ryan Flaherty (selected by the Baltimore Orioles in 2011), and INF-OF Marwin Gonzalez (selected by the Boston Red Sox and then traded to the Houston Astros immediately after the draft concluded in 2011).
NOTE: Hack Wilson and Monte Irvin (both selected by the Cubs - see above) and RF Roberto Clemente (selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1954 Rule 5 Draft) are the only members of the Baseball Hall of Fame who were selected in a Rule 5 Draft.
The Cubs have actually lost many more players in the AAA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft (most-notably 1B Justin Bour, who was selected by the Miami Marlins from the Cubs AA Tennessee affiliate in 2013) 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.
The most-notable players selected by the Cubs in the AAA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft over the years are C Vic Roznovsky (selected by the Cubs from the San Francisco Giants AA El Paso affiliate in 1963), C Chris Krug (selected by the Cubs from the St. Louis Cardinals AA Tulsa affiliate in 1964), OF Brock Davis (selected by the Cubs from the Houston Astros AA Dallas-Ft. Worth affiliate in 1968), RHRP Heathcliff Slocumb (selected by the Cubs from the New York Mets Little Falls affiliate in the NYP league in 1986), and OF Roosevelt Brown (selected by the Cubs from the Florida Marlins AA Portland affiliate in 1997).
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