The Cubs didn’t have anything to play for in the traditional standings today, but there was a three-spot swing available in the reverse standings, and on that front, the Cubs come out of the day the big winners.
If the Cubs had won today, they could have finished with the 19th worst record in baseball, thus picking 19th in next year’s draft. But by losing, combined with wins by BOTH the Diamondbacks and Red Sox, the Cubs leap all the way up to 16th, the highest they’ve picked since 2015. Among teams with a winning record, the Cubs have the very best pick possible. So that’s cool.
The 16th pick last year came with a $3.75 million draft slot, which was $1.2 million higher than what the Cubs had at the 27th spot last year. Also, the 16th pick slot last year was $400K higher than the 19th pick, which is where the Cubs could have wound up.
The Cubs will now have a draft pool CONSIDERABLY larger than their $5.8 million last year. And with Jason McLeod moving off of the amateur and scouting side, the Cubs figure to have a new person atop that department when the 2020 draft rolls around next June. That’s a pretty darn critical hire.