clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

10 members of the Cubs farm system are now minor-league free agents

In all, the 30 major-league teams set 572 players free.

Photo by David Banks/Getty Images

Mike Freeman is the Cub pictured above. He played in just 15 games for the Cubs and hit .160/.222/.240. In 10 years, you’ll say, “That guy played for the Cubs in a year they made the postseason?”

Freeman and nine other Cubs minor leaguers were made free agents this week. Here’s the Cubs list, along with the level where they played in 2017:

RHP: Scott Carroll (AAA) | Williams Perez (AAA)
2B: Jemile Weeks (AAA)
3B: Chris Dominguez (AAA)
SS: Mike Freeman (AAA) | Ozzie Martinez (AAA) | Elliot Soto (AAA)
OF: John Andreoli (AAA) | Ryan Kalish (SS) | Trey Martin (AA)

I’m not sure what “SS” means, but as far as I can tell Kalish didn’t play at all in 2017.

Ten is actually a fairly small number of minor leaguers to become FA from any one team. The Orioles, for example, had 29 players become minor-league free agents this week.

Some of the players on the list linked above were once pretty good prospects. A quick scan of the list finds Tim Cooney, Donovan Solano, Dustin Ackley and Nick Franklin, as well as former big leaguers Wade LeBlanc, Chris Narveson and Omar Infante.

There are a large number of former Cubs prospects and players on the list, too. Among them: Shawon Dunston Jr., Felix Doubront, Eric Jokisch, Mike Olt, Arismendy Alcantara, Jim Adduci and Jake Fox (yes, really — he last played in winter ball last offseason).

Seriously, the Cubs will likely scan this list and sign one or two players off of it for non-roster invitations to spring training. It’s always possible to catch lightning in a bottle with guys like this. Have a look over the list and see if you can find anyone who might help the Cubs in 2018.