Some good news on the draft front – yesterday the Cubs announced that they had signed their second round pick, high school outfielder Reggie Golden.
Reggie Golden got his first peek at life in the big leagues on Saturday.
Golden, the Cubs’ second-round Draft pick, signed his contract on Friday and was able to do a little hitting in the cage with players such as Marlon Byrd, Mike Fontenot, Ryan Theriot and Kosuke Fukudome. The Cubs now have signed 24 of their first 50 selections.
“It feels good,” Golden said of being in a Major League clubhouse. “I grew up watching these guys play, especially Derrek Lee and Alfonso Soriano. I’ve got chills.”
Golden, selected out of Wetumpka High School in Wetumpka, Ala., was recommended by area scout Tom Clark, who accompanied the outfielder on Saturday.
“He’s a combination of speed and power, and that’s hard to find, especially nowadays,” Clark said. “He can run, and he has power.”
Golden finished his high school career with 36 home runs, 156 RBIs and 146 runs. He did sign with the University of Alabama, but has instead opted to get his professional career started. cubs.com.
Terms of his deal weren’t disclosed quite yet, but I’d imagine that he received a little bit more than expected in order to keep him from enrolling at Alabama.
UPDATE: I was right. Golden received a $720k signing bonus, which was about $160k over the slot recommendation. Indeed the Cubs must really like him.