Roster Rules & Procedures

Cubs MLB Reserve List ("40-Man Roster")

40 players are on Cubs MLB Reserve List (roster is full), plus three players are on the 60-Day Injured List (45-day Injured List in 2020)

MLB Service Time goes by the format of Years+Days, so (for example) "2+155" = two years plus 155 days.

Per the 2016-21 CBA, an MLB regular season ("championship season") must be at least 182 days but no more than 187 days, but 172 days constitutes a "full" MLB regular season when calculating MLB Service Time, and so a player cannot get credit for more than 172 days of MLB Service Time in any one season.

NOTE 1 - The Cubs have no players with Selected Player status on their MLB Reserve List at this time.

NOTE 2 - Any player on a minor league reserve list who is eligible for selection in the 2020 MLB Rule 5 Draft, who has accrued less than three years of MLB Service Time through the 2020 season, and who has his contract selected and is added to an MLB Reserve List after August 31st will have MLB Rule 6 Draft- Excluded Player status until 20 days prior to 2021 MLB Opening Day.

NOTE 3 - Any player who has minor league options left and who has accrued at least five years of MLB Service Time (Andrew Chafin, Yu Darvish, Daniel Descalso, Billy Hamilton, Kyle Hendricks, Jason Heyward, Craig Kimbrel, Jason Kipnis, Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, and Anthony Rizzo, plus Kris Bryant beginning on 7/23, Javier Baez beginning on 8/21, Kyle Schwarber beginning on 8/22, Dan Winkler beginning on 8/31, Ryan Tepera beginning on 9/22, and Rex Brothers beginning on 9/25) and any international player with Article XIX-A contractual rights has the right to refuse an Optional Assignment and remain on his club's MLB Active List (25-man roster) or elect free-agencv if optioned .

NOTE: Optional Assignment Waivers have been eliminated in the 2016-21 CBA.

NOTE 4 -If the 2020 minor league season is not considered to be a "qualified season" because it was canceled before it started, Adbert Alzolay will be eligible for a 4th minor league option in 2021 if his 3rd option is spent in 2020, Justin Steele will be eligible for a 4th minor league option in 2022 if his 3rd option is spent in 2021, Miguel Amaya and Manuel Rodriguez will be eligible for a 4th minor league option in 2023 if the 3rd option is spent in 2022, and Nico Hoerner will be eligible for a 4th minor league option in 2024 if his 3rd option is spent in 2023 (TBD).

NOTE 5 - Any player who has accrued at least five years of MLB Service Time (Andrew Chafin, Tyler Chatwood, Yu Darvish, Daniel Descalso, Billy Hamilton, Kyle Hendricks, Jason Heyward, Jeremy Jeffress, Craig Kimbrel, Jason Kipnis, Jon Lester, Cameron Maybin, Jose Quintana, and Anthony Rizzo, plus Kris Bryant beginning on 7/23, Javier Baez beginning on 8/21, Kyle Schwarber beginning on 8/22, Dan Winkler beginning on 8/31, Ryan Tepera beginning on 9/22, and Rex Brothers beginning on 9/25) and any international player with Article XIX-A contractual rights has the right to refuse an Outright Assignment and remain on his club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) or elect free-agency if outrighted . Also, any player who has accrued at least three years of MLB Service Time (Albert Almora, Rex Brothers, Willson Contreras, Jose Martinez, Josh Osich, and Ryan Tepera, plus Colin Rea beginning on 8/10, Victor Caratini beginning on 9/4 and Ian Happ beginning on 9/10), or who has not yet accrued at least three years of MLB Service Time but who has been outrighted previously in his career (Kyle Ryan and Rowan Wick), or who has not accrued at least three years of MLB Service Time or been outrighted to the minors previously in his career but who qualified as a "Super Two" player after the 2019 season, has the right to elect free-agency if outrighted .

NOTE 6 - Starting at 5 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day after the final game of the 2020 World Series, an unsigned MLB Rule 55-eligible player (second contract or 6YFA) who is not a Rule 6 Selected Player or Draft Excluded Player and/or is not eligible to elect free-agency if outrighted cannot be sent outright to the minors until Outright Assignment Waivers are secured and the player has either signed a 2020 Major League contract, had his 2019 contract unilaterally renewed by the club , or agrees (in advance) to sign a 2020 minor league contract (if the Outright Assignment is contemplated prior to a 2020 Major League contract being tendered).

NOTE: For any MLB player not eligible for salary arbitration , an MLB club can unilaterally renew the player's contract from the previous season (subject to the MLB minimum salary rule and the MLB maximum salary-reduction rule ) if the player has not signed a contract by March 1st.

NOTE 7 - Most injured players can be sent to the minors only during a period of time beginning on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season up until reserve lists are filed in November. (An injured Rule 6 Selected Player can be outrighted during this period only if Rule 6 restrictions have been removed, and an injured Rule 6 Draft Excluded Player can be outrighted during this period only if Outright Assignment Waivers are requested no later than 2 PM Eastern on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series). However, a player on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) who is not MLB Rule 55-eligible , who has accrued less than three years of MLB Service Time in his career, and who did not accrue any MLB Service Time during the previous season, was not selected in the immediately-preceding Rule 5 Draft , and has not previously been outrighted to the minors can be sent outright to the minors even if he is injured beginning on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season up until the 15th day prior to the start of the next MLB regular season, and an MLB Rule 55-eligible player who has accrued less than three years of MLB Service Time in his career, and who did not accrue any MLB Service Time during the previous season, was not selected in the immediately-preceding Rule 5 Draft , and has not previously been outrighted to the minors can be sent outright to the minors even if he is injured during this period only after the player has either signed a Major League contract for the next season, had his previous season's contract unilaterally renewed by the club , or agrees (in advance) to sign a minor league contract for the next season (if the Outright Assignment is contemplated prior to a Major League contract being tendered). Also, a Draft-Excluded Player who has accrued less than three years of MLB Service Time in his career and who did not accrue any MLB Service Time during the previous season and who has not previously been outrighted to the minors can be sent outright to the minors even if he is injured only during a five-day window beginning on the 20th day prior to the start of the MLB regular season and extending up until the 15th day prior to the start of the MLB regular season.

NOTE 8 - An Article XX-B MLB free-agent who signs a major league contract after 11:59 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day after the final game of the 2020 World Series will have an automatic "no trade" restriction through June 15, 2021. An Article XX-B MLB Free-Agent who receives a "no trade" right this way can waive the right, but if he does, his club can trade the player only for player contracts and/or cash with a maximum aggregate value of $50,000. Also, a player with an automatic ("10/5") or contractual full or partial "no trade" restriction (FULL: Jon Lester - PARTIAL: Yu Darvish, Jason Heyward, and Craig Kimbrel) cannot be traded or placed on any type of irrevocable assignment waiver unless he agrees to waive his "no trade" right in advance.