Cubs News: Looking closer at Tuesday's qualifying offer, roster deadline

It's been a quiet offseason to this point for the Chicago Cubs. Really, the only news that we've had apart from some coaching staff and organizational hires is longtime rotation staple Kyle Hendricks moving on, signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

That all changes on Tuesday, with a pair of key roster deadlines. Players must accept or reject their respective qualifying offers and teams must add eligible prospects to the 40-man to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. The qualifying offer isn't directly at play for the Cubs, but those decisions will definitely impact the free agent market.

Over the weekend, we learned Cincinnati Reds right-hander Nick Martinez is set to accept the club's $21 million qualifying offer - tying up about 20% of their projected payroll in a swingman who has one really solidly above-average season to his name. The full list of players set to decide on a qualifying offer can be found here, but based on early rumors, the Cubs won't be at play for most of these guys in free agency.

If a player rejects a qualifying offer, his former team receives draft pick compensation. What that compensation looks like caries from team to team based on CBT status, but when it comes to the Cubs - they're on the hook for a major hit. More from MLB.com:

"A team that exceeded the CBT threshold in the preceding season will lose its second- and fifth-highest selections in the following year's Draft, as well as $1 million from its international bonus pool for the upcoming signing period. If such a team signs multiple qualifying-offer free agents, it will forfeit its third- and sixth-highest picks as well."

For that reason alone, that potential run at Max Fried could be less likely than initially thought as the Braves made him a qualifying offer at the season's end. Given how focused Jed Hoyer is on organizational depth and developing talent internally, I'd be shocked if he pursued any of these players tied to draft pick compensation.

Cubs expected to add top prospect to 40-man; another critical roster deadline is fast approaching later in the week.

As for the 40-man deadline, one name sure to be added is Owen Caissie. The Cubs' outfield prospect is knocking on the door of the big leagues and has turned heads in recent years as he's climbed rankings lists - peaking at #34 in MLB Pipeline's latest update. Finding him regular at-bats could be a challenge, so expect to see his name in trade rumors throughout the offseason as Chicago looks for controllable impact arms.

We'll see how the Cubs play it with other prospects not named Owen Caissie. They've got a handful of borderline candidates - and rather than speculate, we'll wait and see how those decisions play out. Once we get through Tuesday, the next important date is Nov. 22 - the deadline for tendering contracts to players under team control, but not signed, for 2025. That'll be a busy day for the Cubs, with more than a dozen names in this bucket.