Pedro Ramirez
2B · S/R · age 22.5 · CHCOCTOBER OK
ACTIVE
0+000
0+116 / 0+129
3 (using one in 2026)
5 of 5
PRE-ARBITRATION / AUTO-RENEWAL
Amateur FA (VEN) Jan'21
0 / 0
1 yr, $780k (2026)
Next 90 days, by the model
91%
<1%
3%
6%
<1%
Pushing the cut risk around: age (22.45) lowers it, this season's WAR (0.94) lowers it, this season's OPS (0.75) lowers it.
Context the model does not weigh: ZiPS projects 1.8 WAR, 0.9 WAR this season; 6 IF on the 40-man, of whom Michael Conforto is headed to free agency.
Trained on every 40-man roster snapshot since 2011 and what happened in the following 90 days; it sees roster status, options, service, history and last season's line, not this season's performance or the club's intentions. How well it does.
Is there a job for him next year?
CHC returns 11 IF on the 40-man once 2 free agents leave; about 8 IF jobs survive a normal winter. By his own recent record he ranks 6th among the returners (1.6 WAR against a bar of 0.9), which the calibrated model turns into 99% kept through the tender deadline. Ranked by ZiPS and Steamer instead, which credit his longer track record, he is 7th (0.9 WAR, bar 0.5), worth 99% kept on the same model.
| By recent record: returning IF | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|
| 1. Alex Bregman | 3.9 |
| 2. Dansby Swanson | 3.5 |
| 3. Nico Hoerner | 3.0 |
| 4. Michael Busch | 2.3 |
| 5. Matt Shaw | 1.7 |
| 6. Pedro Ramirez | 1.6 |
| 7. Gabriel Arias | 1.0 |
| 8. Justin Deanlast job | 0.9 |
| 9. James Triantos | -0.3 |
| 10. Kevin Alcantara | -0.7 |
| 11. BJ Murray Jr. | -1.0 |
| By ZiPS / Steamer: returning IF | Proj. WAR |
|---|---|
| 1. Nico Hoerner | 3.8 |
| 2. Alex Bregman | 3.4 |
| 3. Dansby Swanson | 3.2 |
| 4. Michael Busch | 2.5 |
| 5. Matt Shaw | 1.6 |
| 6. Gabriel Arias | 1.2 |
| 7. Pedro Ramirez | 0.9 |
| 8. Kevin Alcantaralast job | 0.5 |
| 9. Justin Dean | 0.2 |
| 10. BJ Murray Jr. | 0.2 |
| 11. James Triantos | 0.2 |
Departing free agents are excluded; players on club, mutual or player options are counted as returning. The kept probability is calibrated on every September since 2012 using the recent-record projection; the ZiPS/Steamer reading uses the same model with a different ranking, so treat it as a second opinion rather than a calibrated number. Salary enters once arbitration projections publish in October.
October: Post-season eligible
On the 40-man before noon ET Sep 1. He stays eligible as long as he remains on the 40-man or 60-day IL through the post-season; an outright after the cutoff would end automatic eligibility.
The post-season eligibility list is fixed at noon ET on September 1: everyone on the 40-man, the 60-day IL or the military list at that moment, who then stays there without interruption. Attachment 25 (Major League Rule 40)
What happens if the club…
- option him to the minors
- Yes, 3 option years left. 5 of the five optional assignments for 2026 remain. A 2026 option year is already used (58 days), so further trips this season cost nothing extra. Once down he must stay 10 days unless he replaces an injured or traded player.
- Option years and the 20-day rule · Five optional assignments per season · Minimum stay on option
- designate him for assignment (or put him on outright waivers)
- The club has 7 days to trade him, pass him through outright waivers, or release him; he is paid at the major-league rate and keeps accruing service in the meantime. On outright waivers any club can claim him for $50,000, worst record first, and the claiming club takes his contract (1 yr, $780k (2026)). If he clears, the club can outright him to the minors and he has no say; he stays under club control on a minor-league deal. He would then be Rule 5-eligible and would hold XX-D rights against any future outright. Post-season: an outright after the September 1 cutoff ends his automatic eligibility. He could only return as an approved injury replacement, and only if he accepts the outright and stays on a minor-league reserve list in the organization without interruption; a release makes him ineligible for anyone this October.
- Designated for assignment: 7 days · Outright waivers · Article XX-D: the right to walk
- release him
- Release waivers cost a claiming club $1 but the claimant assumes the whole contract, so expensive players clear. The club owes the full unpaid balance of this season's salary, offset by whatever another club pays him this year. A released player is not post-season eligible for any club this year.
- Release waivers and termination pay · Which rate a split contract pays at release
- trade himBLOCKED
- Not now: players on major-league contracts cannot be traded after the Aug 3 deadline until the day after the World Series.
- Trade deadline · 10-and-5 rights · June 15 no-trade for free-agent signees
- renew him for next year
- Pre-arbitration: the club sets his 2027 salary near the minimum ($780,000 floor) and he has no leverage beyond a non-tender.
- Minimum salaries · Tender deadline
What the rules say about him
- Option years and the 20-day rule3 option years left entering 2026; 58 option days this season uses one (2 after 2026).A season with fewer than 20 days on optional assignment does not count as an option year, and those days count as Major League service. 2022-2026 Basic Agreement, Article XIX(E) and XXI(B), p. 98 (the number itself is in Major League Rule 7(c))
- Five optional assignments per seasonOptioned 0 times this season that count toward the cap of 5: 5 left.A player can be optioned at most five times in a season; a sixth trip requires outright waivers. 2022-2026 Basic Agreement, Article XIX(E), p. 98 (the number itself is in Major League Rule 7(c))
- Post-season roster eligibilityOn the 40-man before noon ET Sep 1. He stays eligible as long as he remains on the 40-man or 60-day IL through the post-season; an outright after the cutoff would end automatic eligibility.The post-season eligibility list is fixed at noon ET on September 1: everyone on the 40-man, the 60-day IL or the military list at that moment, who then stays there without interruption. 2022-2026 Basic Agreement, Attachment 25, p. 253 (the number itself is in Major League Rule 40)
- Rule 5 clockOn a 40-man roster (would first be exposed after 2025 otherwise).
Option years, season by season
| Season | Days on option | Option year used | Stints |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 58 | yes | Mar 8, 2026 to May 22, 2026 (58d, spring training) |
Transaction log
| May 22, 2026 | Recalled | Chicago Cubs recalled 2B Pedro Ramírez from Iowa Cubs. |
| Mar 8, 2026 | Optioned | Chicago Cubs optioned 2B Pedro Ramirez to Knoxville Smokies. |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Contract selected | Chicago Cubs selected the contract of 2B Pedro Ramirez from Knoxville Smokies. |
| Jan 15, 2021 | Signed as free agent | Chicago Cubs signed free agent SS Pedro Ramirez to a minor league contract. |
Service through 2025 per FanGraphs RosterResource; options and this-season service reconstructed from the MLB transaction log (reconstruction; FanGraphs shows 3). Rule 5 exposure deadline Nov 17, 2026.