4 prospects the Cubs must protect from the Rule 5 draft at all costs

For the first time in what seems like forever, the Chicago Cubs actually have to seriously worry about the Rule 5 draft this winter. Ahead, we’ve put together a list (Without Brennen Davis, Kevin Alcantara or Ben Brown for obvious reasons) of which guys the team must protect this winter.

With only so many 40-man roster spots available, including (hopefully) at least a few dedicated toward free agent signings, only so many prospects can be protected this year. It just so happens that the Cubs have multiple solid pieces in their farm that have Rule 5 eligibility come season’s end.

The Cubs currently, although far out in the standings, have done especially well in terms of developing and trading for potential starting pitching. Javier Assad and Hayden Wesneski,  the latter of whom was acquired from the Yankees at the trade deadline for Scott Effross, have both been stellar to start their big league careers. These two represent the first of what figures to be multiple waves of talent in a reloaded Cubs farm system making its way toward the big league club.

Though depleting the farm brought the Cubs a ring in 2016, success was unsustainable once players began underperforming with nothing left to supplement them. With all that is going right for the Cubs in the minor leagues now, navigating the road of protecting the right prospects and which to leave open to the Rule 5 draft will be a critical task for Jed Hoyer and the front office.

4 Cubs prospects to protect from the Rule 5 draft: #4 – Yonathan Perlaza

Currently slashing .254/.349/.496 at Double-A Tennessee, Yonathan Perlaza kicks this list off after having an impressive season in the minors. He’s popped 23 homers and racked up 70 RBI on the year and seems to be near a potential Iowa call-up. The 23-year-old has also added 34 doubles and three triples, giving him a whopping 60 extra-base hits on the campaign.

In the month of August, the middle infielder slashed .274/.336/.604 while launching seven long balls and driving in 17, further proof of his developing power after being primarily an average-first guy earlier in his career. In 2021 with High-A, for example, Perlaza slashed .280/.350/.479 in 357 ABs to go along with 15 homers and 64 driven in.

At just 23 years old, the sky is still the limit for Perlaza. Capable of playing multiple positions, he continues the growing trend of versatile multi-positional defenders. Where the batting average has dipped this season, he has more than made up for it in the on-base department. His 70 walks drawn in 467 ABs are leaps and bounds above the 38 walks in 357 at-bats just a year ago.

If he can continue to add power while learning to balance out the average and continue to improve the plate discipline next year, he can easily turn into a vital piece for the Cubs organization moving forward.

4 Cubs prospects to protect from the Rule 5 draft: #3 – Jake Slaughter

Sticking with Double-A Tennessee, another prospect who surprisingly wasn’t on MLB Pipeline’s organization top 30 prospect list and is Rule 5 eligible is Jake Slaughter. In the midst of a breakout year, Slaughter has impressed to the tune of a .293/.389/.534 slash line with the Smokies while blasting a total of 23 homers and 80 RBI to go along with 36 stolen bases between South Bend and Tennessee.

Slaughter’s defensive versatility in its own right may keep him around in the Cubs organization moving forward. Being able to move around will be key, especially as an overabundance of outfielders continue to progress through the ranks. Without his breakout showing this year, he probably wouldn’t have made the cut for me, but what he’s done this year changes things.

Now, it’s up to management to either trust that Slaughter has made lasting changes to his mechanics – ones that will allow him to continue climbing the ladder – or either trade him or leave him unprotected altogether.

His versatility in the field, improved batting average and ability to hit for power – not to mention his elite speed – are all traits in a player that any team has on their wish list at the big league level. With several expected 40-man roster cuts, I’m more than willing to take a flyer on Slaughter and give him the bump to Triple-A where he can further be evaluated at an even more competitive level in 2023.

4 Cubs prospects to protect from the Rule 5 draft: #1 – Luis Devers

Luis Devers lands on this list at #1 simply because of how serious of a tear he is on this year between A and High-A. Though Devers may seem like an absolute no-brainer in terms of protecting him this season to some, for those who don’t follow Cubs prospects as religiously as some of us do, he deserves a well-earned introduction.

The 22-year-old right-hander pitched a total of 51 1/3 innings for South Bend on the season and accumulated a 4-0 record to go along with an other-worldly 1.05 ERA. Across both levels that he has pitched at in 2022, he owns a 1.95 ERA and impressive 13-3 record.

Success wasn’t as surprising as it seems though, as Devers has been pretty incredible the entire four seasons he has spent in the Cubs organization. In the Dominican Summer League between 2018 and 2019, he recorded a  2.77 and 2.66 ERA, respectively. Important to note with the pandemic leading to the cancellation of minor league baseball in 2020, every prospect lost a year of development. Realistically, had the pandemic never happened and Devers broke out last year instead, you’d probably be seeing him getting ready to make the jump to Triple-A if he wasn’t already there.

If you’re looking for a guy that is a couple years away still but really is must-see stuff every time he takes the mound, then Devers is, far and away, your guy. In all 12 of his appearances at South Bend since his promotion, he has not allowed more than one run per outing. There are some more eye-catching names among the Cubs’ pitching prospects, but this is a guy we need to keep our eye on.