15 Former Boise Hawks on Cubs 40-Man Roster
November 20, 2012 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Boise Hawks News Release
CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs added three former Boise Hawks to their 40-Man Roster today, bringing the total to 15 players who spent a portion of their careers in the City of Trees.
Infielder Logan Watkins, along with pitchers Trey McNutt and Rob Whitenack - all members of the 2009 Hawks squad, have been added to the 40-Man roster, protecting them from the upcoming MLB Rule 5 Draft.
Watkins was named the Cubs Minor League Player of the Year, hit .281 with the AA Tennessee Smokies, finishing second in the Southern League in walks and triples, leading the league in runs scored. McNutt went 9-8 with a 4.26 ERA in Tennessee, while Whitenack, who began 2011 with a 7-0 record and a 1.93 ERA in 11 starts, is still recovering from an elbow injury.
MLB's deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft was this evening - as players first signed at age 18 must be added to the 40-man rosters within five years (19-year-olds are protected for four years) or they become eligible to be drafted by other organizations through the Rule 5 process. Clubs pay $50,000 to select a player in the Rule 5 Draft, set for Dec. 6 at the conclusion of the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn. If a player that is selected in the Rule 5 Draft does not stay on the MLB 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $25,000.
Other former Boise Hawks on the Cubs' 40-Man Roster include pitchers Jeff Beliveau ('08), Alberto Cabrera ('07), Casey Coleman ('08), Brooks Raley ('09), Chris Rusin ('09), and Jeff Samardzija ('06); catchers Welington Castillo ('06) and Steve Clevenger ('07), third-baseman Josh Vitters ('08), and outfielders Tony Campana ('08), Brett Jackson ('09), and Matt Szczur ('10).
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