2018 Cubs MLB First-Year Player Draft (Rule 4 Draft) Negotiation List
7/6 UPDATE
Just prior to today's 5 PM (Eastern) deadline, the Cubs officially signed their 31st and 32nd 2018 draft picks:
Niels Stone, RHP (27th round * Indian River State College) - JC FRESHMAN
Edmond Americaan, OF (35th round * Chipola College) - JC SOPH
Although the deadline to sign most players selected in the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft has passed, college seniors with no eligibility left (and for the Cubs that would be just one -- C Hunter Taylor) will remain on a club's Negotiation List until one week prior to next year's MLB First-Year Player Draft, and Rule 4 Non-Drafted Free-Agents can be signed anytime up until one week prior to next year's MLB First-Year Player draft or until the player enrolls in college (whichever comes first).
So the Cubs have officially signed 32 of their 42 2018 draft picks (including their first twenty and 23 of their first 24) plus three NDFA, with the possibility of signing one more draft pick (Hunter Taylor) and/or one or more additional NDFA at a later point in time.
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LAST UPDATED 7-3-2018
The Cubs have officially signed three more players selected in last month's MLB First-Year Player Draft:
Andy Weber, 2B (5th round * U. of Virginia) - COLLEGE JR
Josh Sawyer, LHP (16th round * U. of Texas) - COLLEGE SR (REDSHIRT JR)
Jake Reindl, RHP (17th round * U. of Arkansas) - COLLEGE JR
All three were assigned to AZL Cubs #1.
This brings the total number of 2018 Cubs draft picks signed to 30 (see list below), plus three NDFA.
In addition, 2018 draft picks RHP Ethan Roberts (4th round - Tennessee Tech), RHP Zach Mort (8th round - George Mason), RHP Riley McCauley (14th round - Michigan State), and RHP Carlos Vega (21st round - Southeast Missouri State) have been moved-up to Eugene.
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7/2 UPDATE:
The Cubs have officially signed their third 2018 Rule 4 Non-Drafted Free-agent (NDFA)
Caleb Knight, C
R/R, 5'11 220, Age 22
U. of Virginia
COLLEGE SR
Area Scout: Billy Swope
COMMENT: One of the top defensive catchers in college baseball.... Won an ABCA Rawlings Gold Glove and was named Spaulding NJCAA Defensive Player of the Year while throwing out 17-23 baserunners (76% CS) at Connors State in 2016... Hit 404/508/670 with 12 HR and 67 RBI at CSC in 2016 and then 260/427/402 with 7 HR & 38 RBI, 12 doubles, and
48/55 BB/K and 26 HBP in 84 games (327 PA) over two seasons (2017-18) at UVA... Was class valedictorian as a senior at Checotah HS - Chocatah, OK...
He has been assigned to AZL Cubs #1.
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6/26 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed another 2018 Rule 4 Non-Drafted Free-Agent (NDFA):
Brennon Kaleiwahea, C
R/R, 6'0 210, Age 22
Tennessee Tech
COLLEGE SR
Area Scout: Alex McClure
COMMENT: Hit 367/465/540 with 8 HR & 55 RBI, 15 doubles, and 36/48 BB/K for Golden Eagles in 2018... Spent freshman season at Washington State and sophomore year at Lower Columbia JC before transferring to TTU...
He has been assigned to Eugene.
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6/18 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed their first 2018 Rule 4 Non-Drafted Free-Agent (NDFA):
Grant Fennell, IF-OF
R/R, 6'0 195, Age 22
U. of Nevada
COLLEGE SR
Area Scout: Gabe Zappin
COMMENT: The 2018 Tony Gwynn Mountain West Conference Player of Year... versatile "four corners" player (1B-3B-LF-RF)... hit 389/466/562 with 5 HR & 52 RBI and 21/50 BB/K in 51 games (236 PA) for the Wolf Pack in 2018... 2014 Rawlings-Perfect Game First Team Honorable Mention All-American (California)... was a two-way player (SS/RHP) at Scripps Ranch HS in San Diego... featured an 89 MPH FB off the mound...
He has been assigned to AZL Cubs #1.
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Players selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft (MLB Rule 4 Draft) are placed on a club's Negotiation List.
In most cases, a player selected by a club in the Rule 4 Draft will remain on the club's Negotiation List until either the player signs or until the signing deadline (whichever comes first), and if a club does not sign a Rule 4 Draft pick by the deadline (5 PM Eastern on the Friday that falls during the week July 6-12), the player is removed from the club's Negotiation List and becomes eligible for selection again in the next Rule 4 Draft in which the player would be eligible for selection. The exception to this rule is any college senior with no baseball eligibility left. This class of player remains on the club's Negotiation List until the player signs or until one week prior to the next Rule 4 Draft (whichever comes first).
NOTE: The Cubs signed all of their 2017 draft picks who had no college eligibility left, so they had no players on their MLB First-Year Player Draft (MLB Rule 4 Draft) Negotitiation List beyond July 7, 2017.
A player selected in the Rule 4 Draft will be declared a free-agent if he is not offered a contract by the signing deadline.
Also, any player eligible for selection in the Rule 4 Draft who is not drafted ("Non-Drafted Free-Agent" or "NDFA") can sign with any club after the conclusion of the draft any time up until one week prior to the next Rule 4 Draft, unless and until the NDFA enrolls in a junior college or four-year college, in which case MLB Rule 4 Draft eligibility rules apply.
A player selected in the MLB Rule 4 Draft or a Rule 4 eligible NDFA cannot be signed to a Major League contract.
A player selected in the MLB Rule 4 Draft or a Rule 4 eligible NDFA can be "Signed for Future Service" (contract is for the following season) if the player signs a contract after July 1st.
The Cubs signed 29 of the 41 players they selected in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft, including the first 21 selections and 24 of the first 25.
CUBS 2018 RULE 4 DRAFT NEGOTIATION LIST: (updated 7-3-2018):
Nico Hoerner, INF (Stanford) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED
Brennen Davis, OF (Basha HS - Chandler, AZ) - HIGH SCHOOL - SIGNED
Cole Roederer, OF (William S. Hart HS - Santa Clarita, CA) - HIGH SCHOOL - SIGNED
Paul Richan, RHP (U. of San Diego) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED
Jimmy Herron, OF (Duke) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED
Ethan Roberts, RHP (Tennessee Tech) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED
Andy Weber, 2B (U. of Virginia) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED
Kohl Franklin, RHP (Broken Arrow Senior HS - Broken Arrow, OK) - HIGH SCHOOL - SIGNED
D. J. Artis, OF (Liberty) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED
Zach Mort, RHP (George Mason) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED
Derek Casey, RHP (U. of Virginia) - COLLEGE SR (REDSHIRT JR) - SIGNED
Luke Reynolds, 3B (Southern Mississippi) - COLLEGE SR (REDSHIRT JR) - SIGNED
Riley Thompson, RHP (U. of Louisville) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED
Cam Sanders, RHP (LSU) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED
Ezequiel Pagan, OF (Pro Baseball Academy & High School - Gurabo, PR) - HIGH SCHOOL - SIGNED
Riley McCauley, RHP (Michigan State) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED
Tyler Durna, 1B (UCSD) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED
Josh Sawyer, LHP (U. of Texas) - COLLEGE SR (REDSHIRT JR) - SIGNED
Jake Reindl, RHP (U. of Arkansas) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED
Jake Slaughter, INF (LSU) - COLLEGE SOPH - SIGNED
Layne Looney, RHP (U. of Richmond) - COLLEGE JR
Chris Allen, LHP (College of Marin) - JC SOPH - SIGNED
Carlos Vega, RHP (Southeast Missouri State) - COLLEGE SR - SIGNED
Jamie Galazin, OF (St. John's University) - COLLEGE SR - SIGNED
Hunter Taylor, C (U. of South Carolina) - COLLEGE SR
Blake Whitney, RHP (USC - Upstate)- COLLEGE SR - SIGNED
Dalton Hurd, OF (Seattle University) - COLLEGE SR - SIGNED
Julian Boyd, OF (St. John Bosco HS - Bellflower, CA) - HIGH SCHOOL (signed NLI with U. of Nevada)
Niels Stone, RHP (Indian River State College) - JC FRESHMAN - SIGNED
Mitchell Parker, LHP (Manzano HS - Albuquerque, NM) - HIGH SCHOOL (signed NLI with U. of Tennessee)
Levi Jordan, INF (U. of Washington) - COLLEGE SR - SIGNED
Drew Wharton, OF-1B (Clemson) - COLLEGE SR - SIGNED
Clayton Daniel, 2B (Jacksonville State) - COLLEGE SR - SIGNED
Jack Patterson, LHP (Bryant University) - COLLEGE 5th YEAR (REDSHIRT SR) - SIGNED
Tyler Ras, RHP (Middletown North HS - Middletown Township, NJ) - HIGH SCHOOL (signed NLI with U. of Alabama)
Miguel Pabon, SS (Leadership Christian Academy - Guaynabo, PR) - HIGH SCHOOL - SIGNED
Edmond Americaan, OF (Chipola College) - JC SOPH - SIGNED
Jacob Campbell, C (Craig HS - Janesville, WI) - HIGH SCHOOL (signed NLI with U. of Illinois)
Henry Anthony Vilar, SS (Westminster Christian School - Palmetto, FL) - HIGH SCHOOL (signed NLI with U. of Miami)
Chase Hanson, RHP (Edison HS - Huntington Beach, CA) - HIGH SCHOOL (signed NLI with UNLV)
Pierson Gibis, C (Wauconda HS - Wauconda, IL) - HIGH SCHOOL (signed NLI with Madison College)
Itamar Steiner, LHP (Niles North HS - Skokie, IL) - HIGH SCHOOL (will attend U. of Illinois if he does not sign with Cubs)
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