2015 Cubs First-Year Player Draft Negotiation List (Updated 7/14)

The deadline to sign high school, JC, and college players with eligibility remaining who were selected in last month's MLB Rule 4 Draft (First Year Player Draft) or who were eligible for selection but were not selected is 5 PM (Eastern) this coming Friday (7/18).

At present the Cubs have signed 29 of the 40 players they drafted plus one Rule 4 Draft eligible non-drafted free-agent (NDFA), with 24 of the signed players (23 of the draft picks plus the NDFA) having already made their pro debut. 

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 5:00 PM (EDT) on the Friday that falls during the week July 12-18 (whichever comes first), and if a club does not sign a Rule 4 Draft pick by the deadline, 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).

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.

A club is not permitted to select a player in the Rule 4 Draft two years in a row, unless the player gives his approval in advance.

RULE 4 DRAFT SIGNING BONUS POOL

There is a maximum limit on the aggregate amount of money that each club can pay as signing bonuses to players selected in a First-Year Player Draft (MLB Rule 4 Draft) before penalties begin to accrue.

Prior to the Rule 4 Draft, each MLB club is assigned a “Signing Bonus Pool” (SBP) equal to the aggregate pre-assigned bonus value of all of the club’s draft slots in the first ten rounds (including supplemental & compensatory draft picks). The higher the slot, the higher the bonus value. (The collective MLB SBP is determined in advance by calculating industry revenues).

If a club fails to sign a player selected in the first ten rounds (including supplemental draft picks), the value of that slot is deducted from the club’s SBP. There is no bonus value assigned to draft slots after the 10th round, but if a club pays a signing bonus in excess of $100,000 to a player selected in the 11th round or later or to a player eligible for selection who was not drafted, the amount of that bonus in excess of $100,000 is deducted from the club’s SBP.

If a club exceeds its SBP in a given Rule 4 Draft, a tax will be assessed and future Rule 4 Draft picks could be forfeited, depending on how much the club exceeded its SBP. (The club’s 1st Round draft pick in the next Rule 4 Draft is forfeited if the club exceeds its SBP by 5-10%, its 1st & 2nd round draft picks in the next Rule 4 Draft are forfeited if the club exceeds its SBP by 10-15%, and the club’s 1st Round picks in the next two Rule 4 Drafts are forfeited if the club exceeds its SBP by more than 15%).

Money collected from the tax on clubs that exceed their SBP will be distributed to qualifying clubs as Revenue Sharing funds, and forfeited draft picks will be reassigned by lottery. (Any club that exceeds its SBP is excluded from the lottery).

The Cubs 2015 Rule 4 Draft SBP is $7,236,100 plus an additional $361,805 before penalties would be imposed, for a total of $7,597,905 

At present the Cubs have spent $7,568,300 in bonuses subject to their assigned SBP limit ($29,205 aggregate underslot), and since only bonus amounts in excess of $100,000 paid to players selected in rounds 11-40 of the Rule 4 Draft and to Rule 4 Draft eligible non-drafted free-agents (NDFA) count against the club's Signing Bonus Pool, the Cubs could give a maximum bonus of $129,205 to any one of their unsigned draft picks (or NDFA) before penalties would be assessed.  

CUBS 2014 RULE 4 DRAFT NEGOTIATION LIST (updated 7-14-2015):
1. Ian Happ, OF-IF (U. of Cincinnati) - SIGNED ($3,000,000 bonus - SBP value $3,351,000 - $351,000 underslot) - at EUGENE 
2. Donnie Dewees, OF (U. of North Florida) - SIGNED ($1.7M bonus - SBP value $1,292,100 - $408,000 overslot) - at EUGENE
3. Bryan Hudson, LHP (Alton HS - Alton, IL) - SIGNED ($1.1M bonus - SBP value $731,000 - $369,000 overslot) - at AZL Cubs (pro debut pending)
4. D. J. Wilson, OF (Canton South HS - Canton, OH) - SIGNED ($1.3M bonus - SBP value $503,100 - $797,000 overslot) - at AZL Cubs 
5. Ryan Kellogg, LHP (Arizona State) - SIGNED ($376,300 bonus - SBP value $376,300 - signed for slot value)- at Eugene
6. David Berg, RHP (UCLA ) - SIGNED ($50,000 bonus - SBP value $281,900 - $231,000 underslot) - at Myrtle Beach
7. Craig Brooks, RHP (Catawba College) - SIGNED ($5,000 bonus - $211,300 SBP value - $206,300 underslot) - at AZL Cubs 
8. Preston Morrison, RHP (TCU) - SIGNED ($30,000 bonus - $174,200 SBP value - $144,200 underslot) - at Eugene
9. Tyler Peitzmeier, LHP (Cal State - Fullerton) - SIGNED ($5,000 bonus - $162,800 SBP valus - $157,800 underslot) - at AZL Cubs
10. Vimael Machin, SS (Virginia Commonwealth) - SIGNED ($2,000 bonus - $152,000 SBP valus - $150,000 underslot) - at South Bend
11. Matt Rose, 1B (Georgia State) - SIGNED - at Eugerne
12. P. J. Higgins, C (Old Dominion) - SIGNED - at AZL Cubs (pro debut pending)  
13. Kyle Twomey, LHP (USC) - SIGNED - at Eugene
14. Jake Kelzer, RHP (Indiana U.) - college junior
15. Scott Effross, RHP (Indiana U.) - SIGNED - at AZL Cubs (pro debut pending)
16. Michael Foster, OF (Northeastern) - college senior - SIGNED - at AZL: Cubs
17. Casey Bloomquist, RHP (Cal Poly - SLO) - SIGNED - at AZL Cubs (pro debut pending)
18. John Cresto, 3B (Cathedral Catholic HS - San Diego, CA) - COLLEGE COMMITMENT: Santa Clara
19. Kyle Miller, RHP (Florida Atlantic) - SIGNED - at AZL Cubs (pro debut pending)
20. Blake Headley, 3B (U. of Nebraska) - college senior  - SIGNED - at Eugene
21. Jared Cheek, RHP (U. of Georgia - college senior - SIGNED - at Eugene
22. Alex Bautista, OF (Lindsey Wilson College) - college senior - SIGNED - at AZL Cubs
23. John Williamson, LHP (Rice) - college senior - SIGNED - at Eugene
24. Sutton Whiting, SS (U. of Louisville) - college senior - SIGNED - at Tennessee
25. Marcus Mastrobuoni, C (Cal State - Stanislaus) - college senior - SIGNED - at AZL Cubs
26. Jared Padgett, LHP (Graceville HS - Gracevulle, FL) - COLLEGE COMMITMENT: Mississippi State
27. Angelo Amendolare, 2B (Jacksonville U.) - college senior - SIGNED - at Iowa
28. Delvin Zinn, SS (Pontoloc HS - Pontoloc, MS) - COLLEGE COMMITMENT: Mississippi State
29. Ian Rice, C (U. of Houston) - SIGNED - at Eugene
30. Tyler Payne, C (West Virginia State) - college senior - SIGNED - at AZL Cubs
31. Daniel Spingola, OF (Georgia Tech) - college senior - SIGNED - at AZL Cubs (pro debut pending)
32. Fitz Stadler, RHP (Glenbrook South HS - Glenview, IL) - COLLEGE COMMITMENT: Arizona State 
33. M. T. Minacci, RHP (NO SCHOOL - last attended Chipola JC) - SIGNED - at AZL Cubs
34. Cody Hawken, OF (Union HS - Camas, WA) - COLLEGE COMMITMENT: U. of Portland
35. Taylor Jones, 1B (Gonzaga) - college junior
36. Alonzo Jones, SS (Columbus HS - Columbus, GA) - COLLEGE COMMITMENT: Vanderbilt
37. Donnie Cimino, OF (Weslyan U.) - college senior - SIGNED - at AZL Cubs
38. Rayne Supple, RHP (Champlain Valley Union HS - Hinesburg, VT) - COLLEGE COMMITMENT: Wake Forest
39. John Kilichowski, LHP (Vanderbilt) - college sophomore
40. Domenic DeRenzo, C (Central Catholic HS - Pittsburgh, PA)  - COLLEGE COMMITMENT: U. of Oklahoma 

NON-DRAFTED FREE-AGENT (NDFA): 
Heath Dwyer, LHP (Virginia Commonwealth) - SIGNED - at Eugene 

A player who was eligible for selection in the First-Year Player Draft (MLB Rule 4 Draft) who signs a minor league contract after being selected in the previous Rule 4 Draft or as a Non-Drafted Free-Agent (NDFA) and who is not "Signed for Future Service" must be added to a minor league club's Active List within 15 days or when he plays in his first game (whichever comes first), but the player does not count against the minor league club's Reserve List until MLB and Minor League reserve lists are filed in November. The player cannot be released until he spends at least 15 days on a minor league active list.