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A list of Cubs with multiple years remaining under team control
Until the MLB lockout ends, the Chicago Cubs 40-man roster will not be adding any new veteran names. Much of the current roster has players with under six years of MLB service time. Regardless of how many additions the Cubs end up making when operations resume, it is safe to assume a sizable chunk of the next Cubs core will be made up of younger members of the current roster and future prospects in the system (not currently on the roster).
Why is this significant? Team control over potential long-term contributors. Like the previous core, key players will have their years of team control, being pre-arb or arbitration eligible, before the required service time is fulfilled to become unrestricted free agents.
Here is a look at what key players have remaining years of team control. This does not count veterans under free agent contracts or others who had contract extensions i.e. David Bote and Kyle Hendricks. This also excluded Willson Contreras considering 2022 is his final season of control. We will not cover every roster member, but potential key future pieces. All of these guys will have played at least 0.1 of an inning in the majors at some point.
Before breaking this down, it is worth noting that service time will likely be a major talking point in the CBA negotiations so it will be interesting to see what changes, if there are any significant changes. This is where things sit as of right now. Also, keep in mind that arbitration eligibility and service time are dependent on if the player plays the required time in upcoming MLB seasons. This is all assuming they do, and we really know all of them won’t.
Yes, it can get very complicated.
Chicago Cubs: Much of the projected infield is under long-term control
Nick Madrigal (24) – Under team control through 2026.
Acquiring Nick Madrigal from the White Sox in July was a clear move for the long-term future. Madrigal will be under team control for the next five seasons and will be arbitration eligible starting in 2023. He will be looking to play his first season of 100+ games in 2022.
Nico Hoerner (24) – Under team control through 2025.
The clock started ticking in 2019 when he came up late in the year, but he still will be under team control for the next four seasons. Nico Hoerner’s role with the Cubs is not clear at the moment, but it is fair to assume he will play a significant part in the team’s future if he plays like he did in the small sample size last year. He will be arbitration eligible starting in 2023.
Ian Happ (27) – Under team control through 2023.
It’s hard to say if he actually will be a significant future piece with his inconsistent play so far. After the horrific start, he rebounded in the second half and smashed the ball. That said, he is under team control through the next two seasons and will be arbitration eligible.
Alfonso Rivas (25) – Under team control through 2027.
One of the more “under the radar” young pieces on the Cubs current roster, Alfonso Rivas made his debut last year and played in 28 games. He hit .318/.388/.409. If he continues to to impress when he gets his chances in the majors, Rivas could stick around for a while. He is under team control for the next six seasons and will be arbitration eligible in 2025.
Clint Frazier (27) – Under team control through 2024.
This former Yankee and top prospect is a bit more of an experiment. He comes with two more years of potential team control after 2022, both arbitration eligible. Clint Frazier could be a low-risk, high-reward player for the Cubs. If it doesn’t work out, then no big financial commitment is lost.
Harold Ramirez (27) – Under team control through 2025.
Another low-risk, high-reward acquisition from Cleveland, Harold Ramirez is potential depth in the outfield. He is under control for the next four years, and this year falls under the “Super Two” qualifications to be arbitration eligible prior to three years of MLB service time.
Rafael Ortega (30) – Under team control through 2026.
Fluke or legit? That will probably be answered in 2022. After spending years bouncing around the league, Rafael Ortega hit .291/.360/.463 in 103 MLB games last year. He is older, but if he is indeed a late bloomer and continues to play well, he could be a nice depth piece on the team going forward. He will be arbitration eligible in 2024.
Frank Schwindel (29) – Under team control through 2027.
Will “Frank the Tank” be a long-term piece? He blew people away in his short few months taking over first base after Anthony Rizzo was traded. He hit .326/.371/.591 with 14 home run and a .962 OPS in 64 games last year. He is under team control for the next six years and becomes arbitration eligible in 2025. Doubt he is around that long, but he has plenty of control if the Cubs want to keep him around for the foreseeable future.
Patrick Wisdom (30) – Under team control through 2026.
He has earned a spot on the team in 2022 after the surprising 28 home runs he hit last year. Not sure he will be a part of the team much longer, the holes in the swing are noticeable, but he has 2022 to prove he can make adjustments. Wisdom will be under control for a while and will become arbitration eligible in 2024.
Chicago Cubs: There are some promising pieces in the mix here
Adbert Alzolay (26) – Under team control through 2026.
Despite ups and downs in 2022, the flame-throwing righty has showed enough potential to still be seen as a piece for the future. Whether he ends up being a starter or reliever is remained to be seen, but for now he will probably get another shot in the rotation in 2022. He will be under control for the next five years, and becomes arbitration eligible in 2024.
Rowan Wick (29) – Under team control through 2025.
The possible future closer finally got back to pitching in 2021 after battling injury. He made his MLB debut in 2018 with the Padres and made his first appearance as a Cub in 2019. This year is his final pre-arbitration season and will become arbitration eligible next year.
Codi Heuer (25) – Under team control through 2025.
Another candidate for the closer’s role going forward, Codi Heuer came over in the Craig Kimbrel trade from the White Sox. He showed a lot of promise in his first year on the South Side, but struggled in 2021 before coming over to the Cubs. Like Wick, he will be arbitration eligible next year.
Justin Steele (25) – Under team control through 2027.
The Cubs fifth-round pick of the 2014 draft made his debut last year as both a reliever and starter. He performed better out of the pen, but had his moments as a starter. He has the potential to be bullpen/spot-starter depth going forward. He is under control for the next six seasons and will be arbitration eligible in 2025.
Brailyn Marquez (22) – Under team control through 2026.
Team top pitching prospect Brailyn Marquez missed all baseball action in 2021 due to injury and COVID complications. The hope is to get him back to baseball and up in the majors next year. On the final day of the 2020 season, he pitched two-third of an inning so he has pitched at the MLB level…just not much. First things first, he has to get back playing before we look at long-term.
Alec Mills (30) – Under team control through 2025.
Solid pitching depth is always important, and Alec Mills, for the most part, has provided just that. He has been around for several years now and have four years of team control left. He will be arbitration eligible next year.
Keegan Thompson (26) – Under team control through 2027.
Making his debut last year, Keegan Thompson had an impressive showing for the Cubs. He pitched to a 3.38 ERA and 9.3 K/9 in 32 games. This could be another nice find, and he will be under control for a while. He will be arbitration eligible in 2025.
Manny Rodriguez (25) – Under team control through 2027.
The overall numbers might not have been pretty, but considering it was his first year in the majors, he should get another chance. He has good stuff and can throw around triple-digits on the fastball. If he does become something, then he will have plenty of years of control.
Next. Could this Padres infielder be a backup plan at shortstop?. dark
As mentioned before, this stuff can get pretty complicated. It is just important to know that as of right now, six years worth of MLB service time earns the rights to unrestricted free agency (and even that has loopholes) with three years earning the right for arbitration eligibility…with exception of Super Twos. That is what this was based on. Who knows what will happen with the new CBA, things could change drastically.