Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Cubs Have Room To Pick in Rule 5 Draft

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI
By Matthew Postins | Last updated Dec 2, 2023 8:00 AM ET

The Chicago Cubs will select No. 17 in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft, which is set for Wednesday in Nashville during the Winter Meetings.

The Cubs could be active during the draft, too. The Major League portion of the draft typically includes some of the top prospects in the game that were not moved to a 40-man roster by their respective teams at the tender deadline.

But, to make a selection, you have to have room on the 40-man roster. The Cubs currently have 37 players on their 40-man, which means the Cubs could make a selection next week, assuming they don’t make more moves.

In last year’s MLB phase the Cubs lost pitcher Chris Clarke to the Seattle Mariners, but the Mariners returned him to the Cubs in late March.

When players are selected in the Rule 5 Draft, they must be put on the selecting team’s 26-man roster immediately and the team they were selected from is paid $100,000.

That will happen for the Cubs if a team takes one of their unprotected prospects, such as catcher Pablo Aliendo, a Top 30 prospect the Cubs left unprotected.

Aliendo has been in the Cubs’ system since 2018. Aliendo’s best offensive season came in 2022 at High-A South Bend, where he batted .267 with 16 doubles, one triple, seven home runs and 35 RBI. But, while with Tennessee last season, he did set career highs in doubles (23), home runs (16) and RBI (61).

If the player is released, he must be put on outright waivers and offered back to the original team and, in the case of Clarke, the Cubs paid that team $50,000.

The last time the Cubs made a selection in the Major League portion was 2020, when it selected Baltimore pitcher Gray Fenter. The Cubs returned Fenter to the O’s in 2021.

Players signed at age 18 or younger need to be added to their club's 40-Man roster within five seasons or they become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. Players who signed at age 19 or older need to be protected within four seasons.

Rule 5 Draft Order

1. Oakland

2. Kansas City

3. Colorado

4. Chicago White Sox

5. Washington

6. St. Louis

7. Los Angeles Angels

8. New York Mets

9. Pittsburgh

10. Cleveland

11. Detroit