Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Cubs and first-round selection (27th overall) Ryan Jensen have agreed on a $2MM signing bonus, a deal over $500K south of the $2.57MM slot value for the pick (Andersen Pickard was first with the agreement).
Jensen, a right-hander from Fresno State, was projected by many outlets as a second-to-third round pick in the weeks leading up the draft, a fact reflected in his comparatively modest bonus. The six-foot righty dominated in late-season action, though, often flashing upper-nineties heat in the latter stages of his college starts. Jensen’s second-tier pre-draft status can be explained by his inconsistent array of secondary pitches, which often lagged behind his hard-to-ignore heat.
The pick is a departure from recent-year philosophy in Chicago’s high-level picks, as senior VP of player development and amateur scouting Jason McLeod explained Wednesday. After a mid-decade eruption of star-level talent graduating from the system, the Cubs farm has sputtered in recent seasons: by some accounts, the team doesn’t have a single top-100 prospect on its current ledger, though last year’s first-rounder Nico Hoerner has impressed in his first professional taste.
So that explains how they signed Ethan Herne, the prep ranks best catcher, to an over slot in the 6th round. Good move.
I reported this about 10 am today on the draft signings post. Find it out faster than MLBTR. Maybe I should make my own website.
Maybe you shouldn’t though
Yep there’s been about 10 1st round signings so far.
mlbdailydish.com has all the updated signings
Yes, they really do need Nico Hoerner to get healthy and back on the field. I do believe they would have liked him to progressed – into a Sept call-up, this year. But now it looks like he’s going to be about half season behind schedule.
Yea i agree. Nico looks like a beast. Was reading a thing online that a scout had his bat speed in the top 5 of all minor leaguers.
Why are these high draft pick players signing for below slot value money? Poor representation?
In almost all cases like this, the numbers are agreed to before the selection. If he wasn’t willing to sign for that, the team goes another way.
Usually it’s lack of leverage. if a player has no college eligibility left, his choices are to take below slot value or go play indie ball. A player drafted well above expectations also isn’t likely to be drafted any higher if he goes back to college, so even if he’s not getting full slot value, he’s still getting more than he expected so it’s not a bad deal.
There’s a lot of guys in no real position to play hardball when they get drafted.
He was contacted by the Cubs, asked if he would sign for below slot. If h3 says yes, they tell him he will be selected. If he says no, they move on to the next. That’s how it really works.
The Cubs wouldn’t have contacted him about it if one of the aforementioned reasons hadn’t deprived him of leverage.
The original poster asked why some players sign for under slot. it isn’t simply because somebody asked them to.
In Jensen’s case it’s probably example no. 2. He was expecting second round money, Cubs were offering more, so no reason to turn it down.
That makes more sense. I didn’t know that teams were allowed to shop their signing bonuses around. That seems a bit shady. I would think the players Association would have issues with that sort of behavior
Not really so long as nobody’s promising illegal benefits. The players and their representatives still have every right to say no.
Basically nobody loses, so why fight it?
People act like the Cub have no top prospects…there are at least 4 or 5 playing in South bend, IN.
That’s the problem, their best prospects are mostly below AA level…