Draft signing thread 2025

[craig]

Nice to have this all wrapped up.  I have to say, I kinda like the draft rules with the snappy signing deadlline.  Get it done!

[Neuby]

Is there a logic behind grabbing Bennett? Feels like the Cubs would have known by the time they got to his pick that they weren't going to have funds left over to overslot him.  

[CaliforniaRaisin]

21 minutes ago, Neuby said:

Is there a logic behind grabbing Bennett? Feels like the Cubs would have known by the time they got to his pick that they weren't going to have funds left over to overslot him.  

Backup in case Hartshorn had issues with his physical?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Kaemyn Franklin signed per Kohl’s social media.

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[Outshined_One]

8 hours ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Backup in case Hartshorn had issues with his physical?

My thought as well. Also gives the Cubs an opportunity to build a relationship with him and his team that could pay off in a few years.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Kaemyn Franklin got $200k. Logan Poteet got $180k.

Cubs still have about $33k if they have anyone to use it on.

[craig]

For the other "day 3" guys, do you have bonus info?  I've got: 

• slot for Eli J (#11)
• overslot for Franklin/Poteet (#14 and #17)
• Underslot for #15 Noah Edders ($100)
• Any ideas for #12, 13, 16, 18, 20?  

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

[Tryptamine]

Pirates lost almost 2M in draft capital, big ouch.

[craig]

https://www.mlb.com/draft/tracker/2025/all/team/cubs

All numbers now listed.  For the back 10, two slots, two small overslots, and 5 variable underslots.  

I'd love to know the logic for back-10 underslots, given no impact on cap-space? 

Like, why is Kantro offering $140 to Knox, rather than full $150?  Why not just go full $150 for all of those underslot guys?  Where does $10K drop-in-buck drop into?   If Knox said, "not going for less than full $150", would Kantro have picked somebody else?  Did Kantro take a lesser guy to save $10K?  I don't really get it.  

Are all these scouts really calling lots of guys and haggling over $150 vs $140 vs $100?  Why not just offer them all the full $150?  Hunsacker, why $45 vs $50?  

And why the sequence?  Not counting Franklin, college guys went 150-100-150-100-45-180-140-50.  I see no pattern.  One might think more valued guys would get more and draft higher, 

I'm also a little curious about rounds 8-10 sub-slot guys.  Book agrees for $100K.  He wasn't confident he could get $150 slot in rounds 11-20?  Did Cubs call ten other guys first who they maybe liked better, but they all said "No, I'm going to bet on myself, I think I can get $150 in rounds 11-20, rather than settling for $100 now"?  

[Outshined_One]

28 minutes ago, craig said:

https://www.mlb.com/draft/tracker/2025/all/team/cubs

All numbers now listed.  For the back 10, two slots, two small overslots, and 5 variable underslots.  

I'd love to know the logic for back-10 underslots, given no impact on cap-space? 

Like, why is Kantro offering $140 to Knox, rather than full $150?  Why not just go full $150 for all of those underslot guys?  Where does $10K drop-in-buck drop into?   If Knox said, "not going for less than full $150", would Kantro have picked somebody else?  Did Kantro take a lesser guy to save $10K?  I don't really get it.  

Are all these scouts really calling lots of guys and haggling over $150 vs $140 vs $100?  Why not just offer them all the full $150?  Hunsacker, why $45 vs $50?  

And why the sequence?  Not counting Franklin, college guys went 150-100-150-100-45-180-140-50.  I see no pattern.  One might think more valued guys would get more and draft higher, 

I'm also a little curious about rounds 8-10 sub-slot guys.  Book agrees for $100K.  He wasn't confident he could get $150 slot in rounds 11-20?  Did Cubs call ten other guys first who they maybe liked better, but they all said "No, I'm going to bet on myself, I think I can get $150 in rounds 11-20, rather than settling for $100 now"?  

A friend of mine used to work for a sports agency who represented amateur baseball players back in the day.  Like all annoying things in life, it comes down to accounting.  Signing bonuses are part of the overall compensation structure; this site gives a decent overview regarding what goes into the signing bonus process and how teams can get creative with that process.

With a guy like Book, he might have told the Cubs he'd take the $100k signing bonus if it meant he got it all up front instead of the standard $75k/$75k structure you might see with a $150k bonus.  He also may have been willing to agree to certain non-bonus clauses in his contract that would make it look like he *only* got $100k, but he received certain benefits/guarantees that might not show up on the bottom line, such as funding for education expenses in the event he doesn't make it, which might be worth more to him than just a $150k bonus.

[CaliforniaRaisin]