2010 Cubs Picks & Signings Thread

[craig]

Stites was supposedly thought by some to be much better than 33rd round talent. And pitching in Florida he wasn't hiding under a rock.

 

When teams know a prospect and let him go beyond round 30, it means one of two things.

 

1. He isn't viewed as being more than 30th round talent (which appears not to be Stites is case)

 

or

 

2. His price tag appears to be enough beyond his perceived talent that nobody expects to sign him. And the chance seems so remote that nobody bothered to waste even a 13th or 17th or 21st or 25th or 29th round pick on him.

 

Scouts can be wrong on talent (see McNutt). Scouts can also be wrong on signability (Sean Gallagher was signable at typical $100-150 slot), even though apparently many teams thought he wasn't. Players can change their minds. (Trout of the Angels supposedly demanded $2.5, which may have moved some teams off him; but ended up signing for$1.2 or whatever late first round slot). And certainly players can improve fairly quickly (again see McNutt, and perhaps Wells?)

 

But my guess is Stites will either need to decide to change his mind about his price (lower it), or pitch so impressively that he changes the Cubs mind and valuation of his stuff (relative to what they and the other teams drafting thought a few weeks ago.) I think one or the other will need to move quite a bit to actually get him.

 

The Cubs haven't signed any superslot pitchers that late to real superslot money ever, I don't think. (The token $100-200 slot that McNutt and Struck signed for is not going to sign this guy unless he drops his tag a bunch.)

 

I hope he pitches so great this summer that the Cubs are happy to go beyond the $200 slot.

[Guest]

I didn't realize til today that Stites was a Mizzou commit. That makes his decision a lot easier to take, whatever it is.

[Outshined_One]

Vine Line writeup on the Cubs' first eleven picks.

[utkcub]

Anyone have a timetable on when we might see Simpson pitch?

[Guest]

Anyone have a timetable on when we might see Simpson pitch?

 

It depends on when he reports (or reported). As of last week, he hadn't reported because he was suffering from some illness.

[Outshined_One]

Matt Szczur just signed...albeit in Jeff Samardzija-like fashion.

 

Two-sport star Matt Szczur (Erma, N.J.) has signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs and will report to one of the team's minor league affiliates within the next few days, it was announced today. Szczur's contract will allow him to return to Villanova this fall and play his senior year of football for the Wildcats.

[Guest]

Matt Szczur just signed...albeit in Jeff Samardzija-like fashion.

 

Two-sport star Matt Szczur (Erma, N.J.) has signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs and will report to one of the team's minor league affiliates within the next few days, it was announced today. Szczur's contract will allow him to return to Villanova this fall and play his senior year of football for the Wildcats.

you had me scared about a multi million dollar contract.

[davearm2]

Matt Szczur just signed...albeit in Jeff Samardzija-like fashion.

 

Two-sport star Matt Szczur (Erma, N.J.) has signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs and will report to one of the team's minor league affiliates within the next few days, it was announced today. Szczur's contract will allow him to return to Villanova this fall and play his senior year of football for the Wildcats.

Cool, sounds like a good compromise for both sides.

 

Wonder what the language is as far as what happens if Szczur decides to try the NFL. IIRC Samardzija has to repay most of his signing bonus if he does.

[Wrigley Rat]

The numbers put up by Szczur during Villanova's baseball season are even more impressive considering that he missed 10 consecutive games in April and May because of donating peripheral blood cells to a young patient with leukemia. Szczur is a member of the national Be The Match registry and was a match for a patient who only had a 1-in-80,000 chance of finding a donor.

http://www.villanova.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/070110aaa.html

This inspired me to register as a bone marrow/stem cell donor. I encourage everyone else who is able to do the same:

Information: http://www.marrow.org/

To register: http://www.marrow.org/JOIN/Join_Now/join_now.html

There is no cost involved at any point in the process. They will ask for a donation on the website though, but it is optional.

[davell]

Possible update on Reggie Golden from AZPhil. He may be wanting "1st round money" and if that IS the case, most clubs wait til close to the deadline to sign these guys, so not to interrupt negotiations with other clubs trying to sign their picks. Makes sense anyway.

[RedFlash]

Possible update on Reggie Golden from AZPhil. He may be wanting "1st round money" and if that IS the case, most clubs wait til close to the deadline to sign these guys, so not to interrupt negotiations with other clubs trying to sign their picks. Makes sense anyway.

 

I personally wouldn't mind him signing, but on the other hand, Bama needs a lot of help on the offense. So, at this point I almost prefer him going to school. But if the Cubs can sign him, then all is the better.

[Guest]

http://www.portlandtribune.com/sports/story.php?story_id=127811070400404500

 

“We’re working out the details, but it might be ready to announce tomorrow,” Rhoderick said Friday while driving from a visit with his grandparents in Walla Walla, Wash., to his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. “I’m really excited and ready to get out there and start this thing.”

 

...

 

Rhoderick is expected to receive a signing bonus of $125,000.

[craig]

Thanks for Rhoderic update, cal. That's good news. Nice to get the bonus info right off the bat, too.

[craig]

Geiger

 

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100705/SPORTS/7050307/1002/SPORTS/Merritt+Island+s+Geiger+will+play+for+AZL+Cubs

[Outshined_One]

Dustin Geiger signed. =D>

 

Link

 

ETA: Dangit craig! You barely beat me. :good:

[craig]

In going back through the draft thread, I don't see hardly anything in the thread about him, other than several people seemed to think he'd be harder to sign. But I never really did see any scouting info about him. Anybody?

 

His high school is big, and he's in Florida. So I'd guess he faced some good competition, and that his stats aren't quite as meaningless as if you're in the Wisconsin schools with graduating classes of less than 50.

 

If his competition is good, then his .500+ with 7 HR's, the raw numbers are much better than harvey hit (I don't think he hit .400); Montanez (he was low .400's); or somebody like Vitters (he wasn't even .400, was he?)

 

At 6'2", Geiger might be a nice size. Not too small to have some power. I know there are plenty of taller guys who are great hitters, but my experience with the 6'3-6'5" type Cub prospect hitters is that those tall guys typically end up having more BP power than game power. The long levers-> long swings -> holes and contact problems. Maybe at 6'2" Geiger will be just a hitter.

 

I know Wilkens has tended toward up-the-middle amateurs, figuring they can move to corner later. But that does tend to correlate guys whose attributes are foremost speed/arm/defense, and power is something you hope emerges in due time. (Which can happen, see Colvin.)

 

But it's nice to see the Cubs getting a couple of HS kids who might, if they were to blossom as you'd wish, blossom into middle-of-the-order run producers. Jackson might. Colvin might. Not sure how good he'll be or if we'll sign him, but Golden might become a hitting RF. Geiger isn't going to make it as a CF or SS, so if he makes it, it's as a hitting corner.

 

I believe DeJesus also has some possible projection to grow into enough bat and perhaps power to be more a corner than just a needs-to-play-center.

[toonsterwu]

Off the top, the defensive reports on Geiger, IIRC, suggested that he wouldn't stick at 3rd, as frame analysis suggested that he would eventually lose the quickness there. He, IIRC, has a good arm, so I know there was some talk in RF. Part of the reason why a lot of folks thought he was going to college was because he wanted to play 3rd. Considering our 3rd base system chart, I'm all for it in the lower levels, until he shows he can't, or he surprises us.

 

As for the bat, honestly, don't remember much, other than that he was expected to have above average power if he developed.

 

Fairly excited about this signing, though. This draft didn't have that many potential impact bat types, and he definitely is near the top of the list. So far, so good. Here's hoping for Wells and Golden.

[craig]

Pinckard

 

http://www.wacotrib.com/sports/Pro-Baseball-Notebook-Time-in-independent-leagues-pays-for-Groesbeck-standout.html

 

'Baylor outfielder/pitcher Brooks Pinckard is still weighing his options on whether to sign with the Chicago Cubs or return to school. Pinckard said via text message this week that he is “just waiting and seeing what’s going to happen” with his contract negotiations.'

 

Sounds like a matter of price. But doesn't sound intrisically unsignable or that he's pretty committed to *not* signing.

[Guest]

Anyone have any scouting reports on Geiger? BA had nothing but a few people earmarked him as a potential major overslot from draft day itself. It'd be nice if he can stick at third.

 

I wonder how much over slot he went - whether it was the standard $100-$150k that the commissioner doesn't have to ok or more.

[Wrigley Rat]

Cubs Sign Szczur To Interesting Deal

 

Matt Szczur already had one of the more intriguing backgrounds among 2010 draftees. Now the Cubs fifth-round pick has one of the most interesting contracts as well.

 

Szczur, a Villanova outfielder who officially signed a $100,000 bonus deal with the Cubs on July 2, is also a star wide receiver who helped the Wildcats win the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision national title last fall. He was named MVP of the championship game after amassing 270 all-purpose yards, and is a legitimate NFL prospect. His deal with Chicago will give him an additional $500,000 bonus–provided he declines to attend the NFL combine and makes a written commitment to baseball before Feb. 10, 2011. He also would have to pass an additional physical at that time.

 

Under MLB provisions for two-sport athletes, the Cubs can spread Szczur's bonus over multiple years.

 

In addition to his baseball and football prowess, Szczur also generated headlines in May when he donated bone marrow to a 1-year-old girl battling leukemia. Aaron Fitt covered that story here (BA online subscription required).

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=2582

[davearm2]

So if I'm reading that correctly, Szczur can pocket $100K to play a few weeks of minor league baseball this summer, then go play in the NFL if he chooses? Not bad.

[craig]

Nice catch, Wrigley. So that's basically a $600 deal to play baseball, if he chooses it. That's pretty strong super-slot for a 5th rounder. Fun. I hadn't realized that he was that interesting as a baseball player. Would be cool if he worked out.

[craig]

The superslot offer to Sczur got me thinking. We are always eager to pay superslot. But have we ever had a superslot who actually worked out? I'm trying to go through my list of superslot types over my memory dating back 10 or 12 years:

 

Bobby Hill.

Bobbie Brownlie.

Andy Sisco:

Mark Reed:

Grant Johnson

Samardz.

Huseby

Rundle

Watkins

Raley

 

Seems to me our record with superslot signings, guys we got relatively late because other teams passed due to their signing demands, is not too impressive.

 

I don't count the $100-200 type late round guys, really. $100-160 really is slot for non-juniors, no matter how late they are drafted. So I don't really see McNutt or Struck.

 

Perhaps our most successful superslots:

1. jeff Russell, although his success is modest and his money was "over" but not really "super".

2. Samardzija, I suppose, since like Russell at least he's made the majors. But given the size of his "super" bonus, his success hasn't been that successful.

3. I don't really include Mark Prior, because picking a guy 2nd isn't exactly sliding. But I suppose one could argue he'd qualify.

 

Dontrell Willis I think was paid $250 or something, something of a superslot. Although Hendry has said he made some kind of mistake in this, and paid him overslot in part because of some promise made or something. I can't remember.

 

I just thought it was kind of fun to go back down memory lane, and think of some of these draft picks I was so motivated to have the Cubs sign, how glad I was when they paid some superslot to bring them in, and now to look back on how little value they provided. Funny.

 

Hopefully Sczur will be break that mold.

 

Also, I don't ramble this just to be snarky, or to have another "Cubs are so dumb" thread. We know the success rate with any draft pick is pretty iffy. So I'm not sure our lack of success with superslots is any reason to quit trying, or that it is particularly unusual.

[chgojhawk]

If Stites has ANY intelligence he will sign with the Cubs. Given his choice of universities one would have to question his cognitive abilities.

[toonsterwu]

not really news i guess, but not sure if people caught this http://www.baxterbulletin.com/article/20100701/SPORTS/7010328 from a week or so ago (7/1) where Dave Van Horn, Arkansas coach, had a blurb on Ben Wells. He says

 

"We are sweating it out on Stanek," Van Horn said. "He's a high pick with Seattle. Ben Wells is seventh round with the Cubs. They are going to make a run at him. Those are the two that concern me. I think the other guys are going to make it here."