Another day, another set of draft picks inked by the Cubs. You are reminded here that the Cubs have probably signed many more players than the handful that we’ve already discussed (here, here and here), but word of the signings trickles out over time.
Today’s edition has the Cubs agreeing to terms with the first of their top ten round selections: 9th round high school outfielder Charcer Burks. The pick was interesting, because you typically see teams taking college seniors in the 8th/9th/10th round range, so that they can be signed under slot to save money for use elsewhere.
The Cubs bucked that trend and took Burks, a youngster that they really liked, and subsequently signed for a $170,000 bonus, per Jim Callis. That’s actually $21,000 over slot.
That tells me a couple things. First, it tells me that the Cubs really liked Burks, and had always intended on making sure they got him. He wasn’t just a filler pick that the Cubs knew they could sign cheaply to protect their draft pool. Second, this tells me the Cubs have some measure of confidence about their other signings – whether it’s getting a couple upper round picks slightly under slot, or knowledge that the mid-round (or late round) guys aren’t going to require huge over slot bonuses. They’ve already reportedly given 12th round high school Trevor Clifton third round money, so, as I say, there’s clearly some confidence somewhere.
Callis added in that tweet that the Cubs saw Burks have a very good final pre-Draft workout where he hit well with wood and ran a 6.5 60-yard dash (that’s fast).
The Cubs have also reportedly signed their 23rd rounder, College of Marin closer Tyler Ihrig. Like many other college players, Ihrig is headed to Mesa for the organization’s rookie minicamp, and then we’ll see where he’s assigned.