Yesterday evening was the deadline for signing draft picks from this year’s Rule 4 (first year player) Draft. The Chicago Cubs closed out strong, signing four their remaining picks.
The Cubs agreed to terms with four more First-Year Player Draft picks by Monday’s 11 p.m. CT deadline, including seventh-round pick Benjamin Wells and ninth-round selection Kevin Rhoderick.
In total, the Cubs agreed to terms with 15 of their first 16 picks. The only exception was outfielder Ivan DeJesus of Cupeyville (Puerto Rico) High School, who is no relation to Cubs first-base coach Ivan DeJesus.
Wells, a right-handed pitcher out of Bryant High School in Arkansas, and Rhoderick, a right-handed pitcher from Oregon State University, were the last to sign among the Cubs’ top 10 picks.
Besides Wells and Rhoderick, the other Draft picks who agreed to terms Monday include left-handed pitcher Casey Harman, selected in the 29th round out of Clemson University, and left-handed pitcher Brian Smith, a 40th-round pick out of St. Mary’s Catholic (Ontario). cubs.com.
Bonus terms have not yet been disclosed, but it tends to be the case that last day signings of later round guys are “hard signs,” which means the kid is of a talent level better than where he was selected, and has been holding out for a little more cash under the threat of heading back to school.
In all, the Cubs signed 29 of their 50 picks, and 21 of their first 25, which is a success by most accounts. For comparison, last year, the Cubs signed 24 players, including just 17 of their first 25.