Cubs sign draft pick Kris Bryant (For slot according to Sullivan)

[dabynsky]

If they sign Bryant, does anyone truly care?

Sure, it's nice to sign everyone, and under-slot for that matter.

The most important pick in the draft is signing Bryant and he stands to be the best pick to move the Cubs forward.

Everyone else falls way, way behind him in the pecking order.

Wouldn't it make sense to start with Bryant?

The issue isn't with spending the money. The issue is people are bemoaning the possible loss of a 12th round pick because the first round pick wants more money to play for a bad team, at a need position. Not every team is the same in regards to the Cubs needs and desires, and how much players want to play for them.

I am not bemoaning the loss of a 12th round player. I am telling you that this is a zero sum game. Caving to Bryant for the sake of a couple of weeks of development time costs the Cubs opportunities to add more talent. At the end of the day we are dealing with very little information at this point and as usual you see people analyzing it with whatever blinders they tend to have.

 

[nwfisch]

I am not bemoaning the loss of a 12th round player. I am telling you that this is a zero sum game. Caving to Bryant for the sake of a couple of weeks of development time costs the Cubs opportunities to add more talent. At the end of the day we are dealing with very little information at this point and as usual you see people analyzing it with whatever blinders they tend to have.

Yes, but the talent is 12th round level. If they end up losing the 12th rounder anyways and giving into Bryant's demands, the whole exercise about saving the 12th rounder is irrelevant. A majority of players in the 12th round struggle through the ranks, unless your Albert Pujols.

 

[dabynsky]

Yes, but the talent is 12th round level. If they end up losing the 12th rounder anyways and giving into Bryant's demands, the whole exercise about saving the 12th rounder is irrelevant. A majority of players in the 12th round struggle through the ranks, unless your Albert Pujols.

Actually he isn't a 12th round talent, and that is why to get him signed is going to cost bonus money against the slot. I still don't understand what is so hard to understand about the Cubs playing hardball when they've got tons of leverage, and then use those savings to improve the Cubs organization.

 

[X]

Yes, but the talent is 12th round level. If they end up losing the 12th rounder anyways and giving into Bryant's demands, the whole exercise about saving the 12th rounder is irrelevant. A majority of players in the 12th round struggle through the ranks, unless your Albert Pujols.

The vast majority of picks struggle through the ranks, regardless of where they're picked. Paying Bryant/Boras what they want to start off is just bad business. It's a negotiation. If Bryant doesn't sign, I'll be just as pissed as the rest of Cubs fans...but we've got two weeks to work out a deal.

 

[nwfisch]

Actually he isn't a 12th round talent, and that is why to get him signed is going to cost bonus money against the slot. I still don't understand what is so hard to understand about the Cubs playing hardball when they've got tons of leverage, and then use those savings to improve the Cubs organization.

I understand it, but there's nowhere saying fans should agree either. Getting Bryant on the Cubs track ASAP is the best option, and if Theo is this worried about signing Bryant or a 12th round pick, there's no hope for this rebuild.

 

[nwfisch]

The vast majority of picks struggle through the ranks, regardless of where they're picked. Paying Bryant/Boras what they want to start off is just bad business. It's a negotiation. If Bryant doesn't sign, I'll be just as pissed as the rest of Cubs fans...but we've got two weeks to work out a deal.

And if the negotiation is held up because the Cubs want to sign a 12th round pick, then what?

Odds are the Cubs are going to be losing the 12th rounder because they don't have as much leverage as most teams have.

 

[dabynsky]

I understand it, but there's nowhere saying fans should agree either. Getting Bryant on the Cubs track ASAP is the best option, and if Theo is this worried about signing Bryant or a 12th round pick, there's no hope for this rebuild.

Your larger point whenever we talk about prospects is exactly why we should care if they sign Bryant and the 12th round pick. There are no guarantees, and the more promising players you can stack up in your system the greater your odds of getting talent to the big league level. Again lets wait a couple of weeks to see how this shakes out because two weeks of Bryant is not worth losing the ability to add legitimate talent.

Gordon Wittenmyer:
http://voices.suntimes.com/sports/inside-the-cubs/cubs-nowhere-close-to-trouble-time-with-top-pick/

 

[dabynsky]

And if the negotiation is held up because the Cubs want to sign a 12th round pick, then what?

Odds are the Cubs are going to be losing the 12th rounder because they don't have as much leverage as most teams have.

Why would they lose Trevor Clifton. He tweeted out that he has signed for third round money. The fact that it isn't official is probably because they need Bryant to come in under slot to make the deal happen. As has been pointed out ad naseum, Bryant could sign for underslot leaving money for the Cubs to sign Clifton and still be the highest paid player in the draft.

 

[X]

And if the negotiation is held up because the Cubs want to sign a 12th round pick, then what?

Odds are the Cubs are going to be losing the 12th rounder because they don't have as much leverage as most teams have.

The negotiation is "held up" b/c a business doesn't just give in to initial demands. There is nothing wrong with negotiating down to a dollar amount both parties are happy with. And, I'm not sure the "odds are" the Cubs are losing the pick b/c of leverage. They may lose the pick b/c he wants to go to college and attempt to improve his draft stock, thus have a higher pay-day...but I have serious doubts a player refuses to sign b/c he just doesn't want to go to that club.

 

[Boobaby1]

Actually he isn't a 12th round talent, and that is why to get him signed is going to cost bonus money against the slot. I still don't understand what is so hard to understand about the Cubs playing hardball when they've got tons of leverage, and then use those savings to improve the Cubs organization.

Maybe I'm a little lost on this, but where exactly do the Cubs have tons of leverage on this. The way I see it, Bryant has the leverage, not the Cubs. He doesn't have to sign.

He could easily pull a Mark Appel and return to school. Could he regress? Sure! Could he improve? Sure!

What if returned to school and hit 35 HR's next year, and the Cubs failed to ink him for minor dollars. That wouldn't sit well with fans either.

At the end of the day, I think he will sign. Of course, there is always the side of me that says nothing at this point would be shocking. We are talking about the Cubs here.

 

[dabynsky]

The thing is people talk about Bryant's leverage in these negotiations but really the Cubs have a ton of leverage in this situation as well. This isn't Mark Appel last year receiving an offer of 3.8 million for the chance to make over 6 million next year. The Cubs reportedly are offering 6 million. If Bryant refuses to take the Cubs offer, the payday next year isn't nearly as big of a jump. And more importantly for Bryant it took a weak draft class and a historic college season for him to end up the second overall pick. Next year he might not even be the best hitter in the draft and very easily could slide down to 3rd or 4th and end up costing him significant money in terms of bonus, and development time to reach the big leagues where the real money is at. While it would suck for the Cubs to not be able to sign him they would end up the 3rd overall pick in what most experts have said is a better draft class than this year. So having two top 10 picks next year might work out better for the Cubs in the long term, though none of us want to see them use that option.


Again Almora took us to the deadline last year and Bryant unfortunately probably will too. But I really don't doubt that the Cubs get Bryant signed at this point. When that changes my opinion on the matter changes.

 

[Boobaby1]

The thing is people talk about Bryant's leverage in these negotiations but really the Cubs have a ton of leverage in this situation as well. This isn't Mark Appel last year receiving an offer of 3.8 million for the chance to make over 6 million next year. The Cubs reportedly are offering 6 million. If Bryant refuses to take the Cubs offer, the payday next year isn't nearly as big of a jump. And more importantly for Bryant it took a weak draft class and a historic college season for him to end up the second overall pick. Next year he might not even be the best hitter in the draft and very easily could slide down to 3rd or 4th and end up costing him significant money in terms of bonus, and development time to reach the big leagues where the real money is at. While it would suck for the Cubs to not be able to sign him they would end up the 3rd overall pick in what most experts have said is a better draft class than this year. So having two top 10 picks next year might work out better for the Cubs in the long term, though none of us want to see them use that option.


Again Almora took us to the deadline last year and Bryant unfortunately probably will too. But I really don't doubt that the Cubs get Bryant signed at this point. When that changes my opinion on the matter changes.

Do you think that this is going to be a pattern of players or the Cubs taking things right down to the wire?

 

[dabynsky]

Do you think that this is going to be a pattern of players or the Cubs taking things right down to the wire?

Hard to say but it is two years in a row that the Cubs took a Boras client first. I think it is more likely each side is a tough negotiater trying to get the most for their side. I wish that the Cubs could just cave and get Bryant playing now without any ramifications on the talent being brought into the system, but there is a very real and definitive cost now with doing that. Hopefully the Cubs will be picking later in the draft soon and therefore likely to pick players that are more willing to sign right away and get their pro careers started.

 

[X]

Do you think that this is going to be a pattern of players or the Cubs taking things right down to the wire?

Could be -- and is probably slightly more likely with top of the draft picks...but keep in mind, right now there's 9 unsigned 1st rounders, roughly 23% of the picks haven't been signed. As long as they get him in, it'll be fine.


(EDIT: The site I looked at was last updated 6 days ago...there may have been a couple signings since)

 

[KBisBack!]

It is still totally ridiculous to defend the dicking around with the #2 overall pick mainly because of a 12th round pick.

Oh sorry, I forgot. He was a 12th round pick with '5th round talent'.

Big fucking deal.

Going back to the Cubs draft to 1990, only 4-5 players drafted in the 5th round or later out of approximately 800 picks played in an All Star Game, and those were players like Steve Trachsel, Jon Lieber, Dontrelle Willis, Geo Soto and one other player I think I might be forgetting. All of those players for their careers were average at best who had one good year and made an All Star Game.

Not worth dicking around the #2 overall pick no matter how desperately anyone tries to apologize for it.*




* = 100% baseball related content.

 

[X]

It is still totally ridiculous to defend the dicking around with the #2 overall pick mainly because of a 12th round pick.

Oh sorry, I forgot. He was a 12th round pick with '5th round talent'.

Big fucking deal.

Going back to the Cubs draft to 1990, only 4-5 players drafted in the 5th round or later out of approximately 800 picks played in an All Star Game, and those were players like Steve Trachsel, Jon Lieber, Dontrelle Willis, Geo Soto and one other player I think I might be forgetting. All of those players for their careers were average at best who had one good year and made an All Star Game.

Not worth dicking around the #2 overall pick no matter how desperately anyone tries to apologize for it.*




* = 100% baseball related content.

I don't think anyone's apologizing for "dicking around" with the #2 overall pick. It's just business. If they don't get him to sign, I think most every cubs fan will be aggravated...but there's still two weeks to negotiate a deal. :shrug:

 

[brett05]

Dumb Question Alert: Why is Clifton getting 3rd money if he was picked in the 12th rnd? Criminal? Injured? Tool?

 

[KBisBack!]

Dumb Question Alert: Why is Clifton getting 3rd money if he was picked in the 12th rnd? Criminal? Injured? Tool?

And the 12th round pick who is getting third run money is putting the signing of the #2 overall pick at risk.

A dumb way to run a business.*

* = 100% baseball related content.

 

[patg006]

Gordon Whittenmeyer saying cubs are unfazed by Heyman's initial report. Dismissed it as 'non-news.'

Better be right...

 

[dabynsky]

It is still totally ridiculous to defend the dicking around with the #2 overall pick mainly because of a 12th round pick.

Oh sorry, I forgot. He was a 12th round pick with '5th round talent'.

Big fucking deal.

Going back to the Cubs draft to 1990, only 4-5 players drafted in the 5th round or later out of approximately 800 picks played in an All Star Game, and those were players like Steve Trachsel, Jon Lieber, Dontrelle Willis, Geo Soto and one other player I think I might be forgetting. All of those players for their careers were average at best who had one good year and made an All Star Game.

Not worth dicking around the #2 overall pick no matter how desperately anyone tries to apologize for it.*




* = 100% baseball related content.

Why are they doing this?

And thank you for the baseball content and proving my point that I raised in the first post I made today.