June 22: The Cubs have formally announced the signing. Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago tweets that Howard’s exact bonus is $3.7455MM (the full slot value for the No. 16 pick).
June 21: The Cubs have agreed to terms with first-round draft choice Ed Howard, according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. Howard will receive a $3.75MM bonus, on par with the slot value for the 16th overall pick with which he was chosen. The Cubs entered the draft with an overall pool of $6,721,600.
In Howard, the Cubs got not only the best high-school shortstop in this year’s draft class, but a hometown product as well, with Howard playing his high-school ball in Chicago. He’d been committed to continue his career at the University of Oklahoma, but as a surefire first-rounder, there was little doubt that Howard would instead play affiliated baseball.
Howard’s calling card is his steady, fluid defense at shortstop. With a strong throwing arm and smooth footwork, scouts almost universally think he’ll be able to stick at shortstop in the Majors. There’s less certainty about his offensive game, but evaluators laud his bat speed and believe there’s room for more power with a refined approach and some physical development.
At just 18 years old, Howard and the Cubs will have plenty of time to work on his game before he’s a finished product. Make no mistake, his selection likely has nothing to do with Javier Baez’s future in a Cubs uniform; Howard is an outstanding prospect regardless of the Cubs’ situation at shortstop, and we’ll look forward to seeing him make an impact at the Major League level in the near future.
Hope to see him in Wrigley Field by 2024.
They’ll have to flip a coin for SS Baez or Howard
Hopefully Javier Baez will still be a Cub come 2024. He can become a free agent following the 2021 season if the Cubs fail to extend him. Baez also has the defensive flexibility to play an excellent SS, 2B and 3B. His bat will play anywhere.
Howard’s defense is ahead of his bat at this point in time. Most scouts and pundits believe he will stick at SS if and when he makes his MLB debut. There’s a decent chance that, Baez, Howard and Nico Hoerner will be the Cubs future starting infield come 2024 along with an extended Anthony Rizzo at 1B. In a perfect world, the Cubs will also retain 3B Kris Bryant who might be bested suited for outfield duty by 2024.
History has to lead me to belive Bryant will overshoot his worth in these bad financial times and land elsewhere-
No doubt Cubs have a nic inf working but whoes going to throw off the mound?
And Cubs will overpay for Baez, who is flashy & half as good as Bryant..Since Theo cant draft pitching its gonna be awhile before Cubs are relevant again
They’ll extend him. Ricketts better not low ball him and open up their check book up.
Extend Baez,Rizzo by next year. Kris Bryant will test free agency. If they want to keep him it will be like that. In 4 years. They need to extend Ian Happ as well. He’s very underrated
They’re still very relevant right now though. They’ll be just fine with pitching. Hendricks, Marquez (2021) Alzolay in 2020-21. Yu for 3 more years. Great position to win. Best team by far in the NL Central
Javy doesnt need to play SS
I’m a cubs fan but I really hope the cubs dont sign baez to some mega deal. Trade him. High K low walk guys don’t typically age well
I agree, I’m not a Cubs fan but as an outside observer I fear that Baez is a guy who really won’t age well. He already (in my opinion) doesnt get on base enough and right now he’s able to combat that with big power numbers and a high enough BA… But as he starts to age if his BA dips just a little bit he’ll be at risk of having an OBP around .300 and that won’t be good. Who knows maybe he’ll be one of those guys who starts to be more patient and walks more as he ages… in which case he very well could age better than expected. But personally I think he’s a big risk if given a long term contract because of his lack of patience/walks.
Cubs could receive a good return in a Baez trade. Cubs should consider a soft rebuild.
Why wait 2 years ? Go to Wrigley in 2022 to watch him
“Cubs draft Ed Howard. Yes, showing action instead of hallow words”
-Bob Nightengale
What an absolute galaxy brain comment that was by Bobengale
Yes
I knew they would
Few teams are more intriguing over the next couple of years than the Cubs, they have SO many big decisions to make on players.
they have 3 ….4 if you count Contreras –
I think Bryant walks so really Rizzo Baez will be the calls in 22′ imo
I think the Cubs decision on Contreras has already been made. Miguel Amaya is their future, but they are comfortable with Caratini as a bridge, if need be.
Miguel Amaya has done nothing to impress me. He has middling numbers and he’s still only in Single-A.
Vic intrigues me, especially being left handed, the new possible DH and ability to play the field
I think Contreras goes somewhere else in the end too along w Bryant.. Theres just too much demand /not enough supply for a young Catcher around the league- They’ll redirect that money towards the staff
I think the resign Rizzo, Baez, KS and extend Vic in the end like they did Bote. Add 2 Sp’s and some internal Rp breakthroughs and thats a pretty good core still moving into 22
Dodgers , yankees
Must be nice. 18 years old and immediately get 3.75m just for signing with the cubs. All because he’s great at baseball
That’s how it goes in this beautiful country. If you can become really good at something, no matter the age, you’re going to reap the benefits and get paid. Congrats to Ed and the Chicago Cubs on getting it done. This now newly affluent young man has an even brighter future to boot it.
A sport in which MLB makes over $11bil in annual revenue.
And he’ll get $100k right away, because the owners say they can’t pay full bonuses this year.
Sour grapes.
Owners are just cheap
The owners just gave an 18 yr. old 3.75m to play a game. Owners pay for talent.
Pplama as a owner of a business what a owner makes and what the public thinks you make are not even close .
Yes, he is good at something 99 percent of the population is not. Supply and demand.
Hopefully he has a good head on his shoulders and/or good people around him. Too many young players blow that money when it’s actually enough to retire on someday.
For the record. I just meant I was happy for him. He worked hard. So he earned it.
For the record, say that then.
You sound jealous.
This guy will never see wrigley as a Cub. Front office brass likes to trade the farm for rentals.
Isn’t Chapman the only rental they have really traded much for? And that led to a WS so..
Depends on if Soler amounts to anything like he did in 2019.
I think he will be good at this baseball
He’s going to be the next Ed Howard!
And how!
I predict this kid is going to be a star. He is smooth as silk. Can’t believe he lasted as long in the draft as he did.
Yeah, from the picture alone I can tell the guy will be in the bigs for a long time. The cubs had an amazing draft.
How many young guys are named Ed?
Ed Howard, Ed Cetera …
He won’t hit. He’s more of a throwback shortstop like they used to be before A-Rod, Ripken & Nomar came along & changed expectations.
He’s 18 and his comp is Tim Anderson with better defense. Pump the breaks and give the kid a day or so to develop.