You Won't Believe This, But...

The Cubs have re-signed FA RHP Chad Fox to a 2009 minor league contract, and Foxy also gets anA NRI to Spring Training. Because he signed his minor league contract prior to December 11th, he will be eligible for selection in next week'sA Rule 5 Draft, andA I'm sure he'll be in great demand. While theA 38-year old righthanderA will be eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft, heA will not be eligible to receive the automatic "no trade" rights through 6/15 that an Article XX free-agentA normally would get, because a player has to sign a major league contract in order to qualify for the automaticA NTC.A FoxA spent most of the 2008 season on the 60-day DL with some kind of necro-elbow problem (calling Dr. Cubster!), andA in fact his presence on the DLA gave theA Cubs a post-season roster exemption they otherwise would not have had.A So it wasn't like he was totally useless.A Perhaps the Cubs plan to use him the same wayA in 2009, or maybe it'...