The quest for supremacy in the National League Central propels the Chicago Cubs’ endeavors as they eye a place in the playoffs, a feat they last accomplished in 2017. Essential to their mission is the cultivation of a team brimming with pitching capabilities. The announcement of a crucial development concerning their pitching repertoire has been a considerable boost to their efforts to engineer a versatile and competent team.
An important piece of news has surfaced about a particular pitcher from Chicago Cubs that may bear a significant impact on their plans. The Cubs have managed to negotiate a fourth-year minor league option for their pitcher, Caleb Kilian. This arrangement opens up new possibilities, allowing the club a range of flexible options for their roster.
The fourth-year minor league option for Kilian is pivotal because it enables the Cubs to reassign him to their minor league a maximum of five times in the year 2025. If this fourth-year option hadn’t been agreed upon, Kilian would risk exposure to waivers before they could reassess him to their minor leagues, creating a situation that would be far less favorable for the club.
But what prompted this fourth-year minor league option for Kilian? Various factors come into play in such situations. Essentially, players who have been rendered inactive due to prolonged injuries could be considered for a fourth-year option. There exists a pre-condition for this which states the player must be within the first five professional seasons of their career.
This entire setup is built upon the definition of a professional season. According to this, a player is considered to have spent a professional season if they have been a part of a major or minor league active roster for a minimum of 90 days. Despite making his debut in Major League Baseball the same year he was drafted, Kilian’s record does not reflect five complete professional seasons.
Although drafted in 2019, Kilian only represented in a pitching position for a single month during that year. He did not have any pitch appearances in 2020. His three full professional seasons trace from 2021 through to 2023, with him not fulfilling the criterion of five complete professional seasons.
In 2021, Kilian was rendered absent from the league due to an injury that he suffered while training during the spring season. Subsequent to the injury, he had embarked on a rehabilitation regimen in July. Nevertheless, his representation for the Cubs during this year was relatively less with only two appearances in September.
The additional minor league option granted to Caleb Kilian marks a significant advantage for the Chicago Cubs in their journey through the 2025 season. As the Cubs’ 40-man roster currently stands, six of their reliever pitchers have exhausted their minor league options. These include Caleb Thielbar, Tyson Miller, Julian Merryweather, Rob Zastryzny, Keegan Thompson, and Matt Festa.
So, how does this advantage play out for the Cubs? It essentially lies in the increased flexibility offered by Kilian’s extra minor league option. Regardless of whether Kilian will be contending for a bullpen position or a rotation spot, his contract’s flexibility enables the Cubs to keep him in their team throughout the duration of 2025 season without risking exposure to waivers.
This situation offers the Chicago Cubs a host of strategic options to consider. With the added flexibility of Kilian’s contract, the Cubs have increased their potential player retention capability for the year 2025, a crucial season for their comeback aspirations. This could prove essential in their quest for a playoff spot.