Inside The Cubs

Rapidly Approaching Rule 5 Will Mean Difficult Decisions For Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have another deadline rapidly approaching and they will have to decide what to do with some players in their farming system.
Maddy Dickens|
Connor Noland
Connor Noland | Greg Swiercz / USA TODAY NETWORK

In this story:

Chicago Cubs

Many deadlines come with the offseason in baseball, and one nearing is regarding the Rule 5 Draft. This draft concerns players in an organization's farm system and whether or not they will be added to the 40-man roster for the upcoming season.

Players only become eligible for this draft if they have been in the minors for four years and have yet to be used in the majors. The purpose is to help players pursue their careers without getting buried in the same team's minor league system.

Teams have until tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET to decide what to do with prospects eligible for the draft. If a team chooses not to keep said player, then it is fair game for any other team to draft them.

One of the hardest calls that the Chicago Cubs will have to make, per a pair of MLB insiders, regards right-handed pitcher Connor Noland.

Noland in the Minors

Iowa Cubs' Connor Noland
Iowa Cubs' Connor Noland | Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 26-year-old just finished up his third year in the minors after the Cubs drafted him in the 9th round back in 2022. Noland was a dual-sport athlete at the University of Arkansas, playing quarterback for the Razorbacks before fully committing to baseball. He impressed with a 3.65 ERA in his final year, recording 113 strikeouts in 20 games.

Since joining professional baseball, he's improved. He didn't start off with a bang, but he has adjusted to professional ball compared to the NCAA, as his first year in A+ he posted an ERA slightly over 4.00.

By the end of 2024 he was on the Triple-A Iowa roster, though, and that is where he stayed for the entirety of this season. Nolan went 9-6 in 27 appearances (22 as a starter) with a 4.07 ERA and 115 strikeouts. The concern that the Cubs now have for him is the opponent's batting average (.259 in 2025) and a growing WHIP.

However, the Cubs have been very vocal about their desire to bolster their pitching staff and that could come with Nolan's arm, even if that means he starts out of the bullpen at first.

Management has some tough decisions to make in the next 24 hours regarding not just Nolan but other players in their farm system, and it appears this will be one of their toughest.

The Latest Chicago Cubs News

Jed Hoyer's Comments About Matt Shaw's Cubs Struggles Speaks Volumes

Cubs Expected To Revisit Trade For Marlins Star They Nearly Landed Once

Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong Admits Rival Outfielder Is Better Than Him

Cubs Star Dansby Swanson Makes Major Personal Announcement

Published
Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

Home/Prospects