2014 Cubs Pick Discussion

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Officially $1.5 million bonus.

 

Never question VandySportsCOM again!

[Outshined_One]

Officially $1.5 million bonus.

 

So roughly $100k left for anyone else still out there?

[davell]

Officially $1.5 million bonus.

 

So roughly $100k left for anyone else still out there?

 

Not sure if you mean on top of the 100,000 max on 11-40 or not. But we gave 3B Kevonte Mitchell 200,000. So about 115,000 is all we can offer a guy. I think we're done.

[A New Era]

Officially $1.5 million bonus.

 

So roughly $100k left for anyone else still out there?

 

Not sure if you mean on top of the 100,000 max on 11-40 or not. But we gave 3B Kevonte Mitchell 200,000. So about 115,000 is all we can offer a guy. I think we're done.

 

Which is fine. I'm fine rolling the dice on a guy like Cease, even if it required 1.5. Great draft!

[Shilzzz]

Let's use the existing thread to talk about the draft as a whole and this one to focus on the actual picks for the Cubs.

 

Edit - No offense Tim, but we're using this post to update signings and info.

 

2014 Bonus Pool (signed picks only): $8,112,700

2014 Bonus Pool (signed picks only) Including 5% Overage: $8,518,335

2014 Bonus Pool Spending: $7,354,000

2014 Bonus Pool (including unsigned top 10 picks) +/-: $1,128,200 Under Budget

2014 Bonus Pool (including unsigned top 10 picks) +/- Including 5% Overage: $1,447,310 Under Budget (the first $100,000 in a bonus for players selected after round 10 doesn't count against the pool)

 

Cubs Picks (signings in bold; all scouting reports are free from MLB.com):

 

1.4 (Pool Amount: $4,621,200) - Kyle Schwarber, C/1B/OF, Indiana - $3.125 million bonus - BA rank: 17, MLB.com: 16, Scout.com: 20

Scouting Grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 65 | Run: 40 | Arm: 40 | Field: 40 | Overall: 55

2014: (7/4)

A-, 24 PA, .600/.624/1.350, 12 hits, 6 xbh

A , 59 PA, .388/.492/.735, 19 hits, 9 xbh

 

2.45 (Pool Amount: $1,250,400) - Jake Stinnett, RHP, Maryland (sr) - $1 million bonus - BA rank: 67, MLB.com: 72, Scout.com: 81

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

'14 (7/4)

no appearances

 

3.78 (Pool Amount: $714,900) - Mark Zagunis, C, Virginia Tech - $615,000 bonus - BA rank: 111, MLB.com: 149, Scout.com: 112

'14 (7/4)

R, 9 PA, .125/.222/.250, 1 hit, 1 xbh

A-, 28 PA, .429/.571/.571, 9 hits, 2 xbh

 

4.109 (Pool Amount: $480,600) - Carson Sands, LHP, North Florida Christian HS (Tallahassee, FL) - $1.1 million bonus - committed to Florida State - BA rank: 53, MLB.com rank: 53, Scout.com: 64

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

'14 (7/4)

no appearances

 

5.139 (Pool Amount: $359,900) - Justin Steele, LHP, George County HS (Lucedale, MS) - committed to Southern Mississippi - $1 million bonus - BA rank: 121, MLB.com: 122, Scout.com: 154

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

'14 (7/4)

no appearances

 

6.169 (Pool Amount: $269,500) - Dylan Cease, RHP, Milton HS (Milton, GA) - committed to Vanderbilt - BA rank: 77, MLB.com: 76, Scout.com: 80

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

'14 (7/4)

no appearances

 

7.199 (Pool Amount: $201,900) - James Norwood, RHP, St. Louis - $175,000 bonus - BA rank: 79, MLB.com: 119, Scout.com: 102

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

'14 (7/4)

no appearances

 

8.229 (Pool Amount: $191,800) - Tommy Thorpe, LHP, Oregon - $135,000 bonus - Scout.com: on the list of 292-546th best prospects (only the top 291 are ranked)

'14 (7/4)

no appearances

 

9.259 (Pool Amount: $151,000) - James Farris, RHP, Arizona (sr) - $3,000 bonus - BA rank: 357

'14 (7/4)

no appearances

 

10.289 (Pool Amount: $141,000) - Ryan Williams, RHP, East Carolina (sr) - $1,000 bonus

'14 (7/4)

no appearances

 

11.319: Jordan Brink, RHP, Fresno State - $100,000 bonus - BA rank: 164, MLB.com: 102, Scout.com: 105

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40 | Overall: 45

'14 (7/4)

R, 1G, 1ip, 0.00 ERA, 0.11 FIP

 

12.349: Tanner Griggs, RHP, Angelina College (TX) - committed to Texas A&M - Corpus Christi - BA rank: 425, Scout.com: on the list of 292-546th best prospects (only the top 291 are ranked)

'14 (7/4)

no appearances

 

13.379: Kevonte Mitchell, 3B, Kennett HS (Kennett, MO) - $200,000 bonus - committed to Southeast Missouri

 

 

14.409: Chesny Young, 2B, Mercer - Scout.com: on the list of 292-546th best prospects (only the top 291 are ranked)

 

 

15.439: Jeremy Null, RHP, Western Carolina - BA rank: 441, Scout.com: on the list of 292-546th best prospects (only the top 291 are ranked)

 

 

16.469: Jason Vosler, SS, Northeastern

 

 

17.499: John Michael Knighton, RHP, Central Alabama CC - committed to Troy

 

 

18.529: Austyn Willis, RHP, Barstow HS (Barstow, CA) - committed to UC Santa Barbara

 

 

19.559: Brad Markey, RHP, Virginia Tech (senior)

 

 

20.589: John Tomasovich, SS, Charleston Southern (senior)

 

 

21.619: Charles White, OF, Maryland

 

 

22.649: Joey Martarano, 3B, Boise State (freshman) - BA rank in 2013: 149

 

25.739: Tyler Pearson, C, Texas State - (senior)

 

 

26.769: Zach Hedges, RHP, Azusa Pacific

 

 

27.799: Calvin Graves, OF, Franklin Pierce (senior)

 

32.949: Andrew Ely, 2B, Washington

 

[Guest]

davell[/url]"]Jordan Minch is signing with the Cubs.

 

Minch has apparently been great at the Cape so far.

 

@FPilierePG: Minch has worked at 90-93 with a plus breaking ball for @harborhawks

[davell]

I'm more than a bit surprised he's signing. He was first team All Big 10 as a Freshman, but struggled this past season. He was draft eligible, but would have still had leverage after next year as a Junior. Nice get.

[Splendid Splinter]

I'm more than a bit surprised he's signing. He was first team All Big 10 as a Freshman, but struggled this past season. He was draft eligible, but would have still had leverage after next year as a Junior. Nice get.

 

I'm somewhat sad. I was really looking forward to watching him here next season, but I'm glad Cubs was able to sign him. I didn't think they were able to give him the $$$ he wants.

[jumbo]

I'm more than a bit surprised he's signing. He was first team All Big 10 as a Freshman, but struggled this past season. He was draft eligible, but would have still had leverage after next year as a Junior. Nice get.

 

I'm somewhat sad. I was really looking forward to watching him here next season, but I'm glad Cubs was able to sign him. I didn't think they were able to give him the $$$ he wants.

 

Are you in Lafayette/Purdue? I went there for my schoolin'

[Splendid Splinter]

I'm more than a bit surprised he's signing. He was first team All Big 10 as a Freshman, but struggled this past season. He was draft eligible, but would have still had leverage after next year as a Junior. Nice get.

 

I'm somewhat sad. I was really looking forward to watching him here next season, but I'm glad Cubs was able to sign him. I didn't think they were able to give him the $$$ he wants.

 

Are you in Lafayette/Purdue? I went there for my schoolin'

 

Yep. Grew up 30 mins northwest from Lafayette (Earl Park if you're wondering). Went to Purdue for CGT then Arkansas for Architecture and now I'm back here.

[jumbo]

I'm more than a bit surprised he's signing. He was first team All Big 10 as a Freshman, but struggled this past season. He was draft eligible, but would have still had leverage after next year as a Junior. Nice get.

 

I'm somewhat sad. I was really looking forward to watching him here next season, but I'm glad Cubs was able to sign him. I didn't think they were able to give him the $$$ he wants.

 

Are you in Lafayette/Purdue? I went there for my schoolin'

 

Yep. Grew up 30 mins northwest from Lafayette (Earl Park if you're wondering). Went to Purdue for CGT then Arkansas for Architecture and now I'm back here.

 

Awesome. My company manufactures architectural cladding systems - we did the Neil Armstrong Engineering building at Purdue and a bunch of others, too.

[Guest]

Jordan Minch signed for $110,000, $10,000 over slot.

[Guest]

Per BA, the Cubs sign NDFA RHP Daniel Lewis. Interesting back story:

 

The Cubs scouted Daniel Lewis as he played for Cotuit in the Cape Cod League, but the righthander has an anything-but-traditional back story. He pitched in high school but then took four years off to serve in the military, returning to the mound this spring as a 23-year-old at Pensacola (Fla.) JC. Coutuit manager Mike Roberts said that Lewis served stints in Afghanistan and Iraq, and, on the baseball side, that he hit 96 mph in his third Cape outing, after which the Cubs signed him.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Per BA, the Cubs sign NDFA RHP Daniel Lewis. Interesting back story:

 

The Cubs scouted Daniel Lewis as he played for Cotuit in the Cape Cod League, but the righthander has an anything-but-traditional back story. He pitched in high school but then took four years off to serve in the military, returning to the mound this spring as a 23-year-old at Pensacola (Fla.) JC. Coutuit manager Mike Roberts said that Lewis served stints in Afghanistan and Iraq, and, on the baseball side, that he hit 96 mph in his third Cape outing, after which the Cubs signed him.

Wow, that's really cool.

[Guest]

Way more on Daniel Lewis: http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-80864084/

 

Link says he actually topped out at 98 at the Cape.

[Guest]

2014 Draft Report Card: Chicago Cubs

 

Position players

 

Best Pure Hitter: Several scouting directors contacted for this feature called C/OF Kyle Schwarber (1) the best hitter in the draft, wowed by his combination of strength, short swing and confident presence in the box. » Best Power Hitter: Schwarber has plus power from pole to pole and made hitting home runs look easy in his debut, mashing 18 over three regular season levels (and one more in the high Class A Florida State League playoffs) after hitting 14 in the spring for Indiana. » Fastest Runner: Five-foot-9, 170-pound OF Calvin Graves (27) has no power to speak of but is an aggressive 60 runner who stole 92 bases in four seasons at Division II Franklin Pierce (N.H.). » Best Defensive Player: 2B Andrew Ely (32) was an all-league defender in the Pacific-12 Conference with sure hands, good range and instincts to spare.

 

Pitchers

 

Best Fastball: RHP James Norwood (7) and RHP Jake Stinnett (2) have the best present fastballs, with the Cubs giving Norwood a slight edge. Both reach 97 mph regularly as starters, and pitch in the 92-95 mph range as starters. RHP Dylan Cease (6) came out of the gate hitting 98 mph this spring but got hurt and needed Tommy John surgery after signing in July » Best Secondary Pitch: Stinnett has improved his feel for a hard, late slider that has power in the 78-83 mph range.

 

Odds and Ends

 

Best Pro Debut: Schwarber made pro ball look too easy, hitting .344/.428/.634 with 18 homers and a 39-57 walk-strikeout ratio in 262 at-bats. He struggled more with the defensive part of the game. OF Kevonte Mitchell (13) hit .294/.374/.371 in the Rookie-level Arizona League, showing a more advanced swing than expected and stealing 19 bases in 20 tries. » Best Athlete: At 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, Mitchell was a first-team all-Missouri basketball player as a junior, but he was committed to play baseball at Southeast Missouri State. » Most Intriguing Background: OF Joey Martarano (22) was one of Idaho’s top prep players in 2013 but didn’t sign and attended Boise State to play football. The Cubs drafted him in 2014 and signed him while allowing him to continue playing linebacker for the Broncos. LHP Carson Sands (4) has a younger brother Cole who is a priority follow for the 2015 draft. » Closest to Majors: Schwarber’s arrival will depend mostly on his ability to catch. If the Cubs decide to stick him in left field, he’ll be in Wrigley Field in 2015. » Best Late-Round Pick: RHP Jeremy Null (15) had back problems in the spring and saw his velocity drop into the mid-to-upper 80s. The 6-foot-8, 230-pounder threw the ball better this summer after signing and was back up to reaching 93 mph with good downhill plane. » The One Who Got Away: Athletic OF Isiah Gilliam (23) was ruled ineligible this spring at Parkview High in Lilburn, Ga., limiting looks at the athletic switch-hitter. He’ll make up for lost time at Chipola (Fla.) JC.