I’d expect there will be more in the way of something official this week, but from the looks of it, Chicago Cubs first round pick Ian Happ is/has/will be signing soon:
Excited to start my journey with the @Cubs First stop Arizona
— Ian Happ (@ihapp_1) June 14, 2015
Obviously, given where he was picked and how excited the Cubs were to get him, it was always a cinch that Happ would sign. The questions now are whether there is a physical to pass (or if that box has already been checked), and, of course, how much Happ receives.
Slot for the number nine overall pick this year is a touch over $3.35 million, and we’ll see how much of that Happ commands. The rest of the Cubs’ draft didn’t include quite as many pricey-looking picks as the year before in the top 10 rounds, and that could be a hint that Happ won’t be hugely under slot (ditto second rounder Donnie Dewees), but it could also simply be a matter of the team’s third (Bryan Hudson) and fourth (D.J. Wilson) round selections, both top high schoolers, requiring over slot bonuses.
I’ll have more on this when it becomes official, or when there’s a little more info available.