Cubs Sign Oscar Acosta’s Son, Still Negotiating with #1 Pick
With the signing of 12th round pick RHP Ryan Acosta (son of the late Cubs pitching coach Oscar Acosta), the Cubs have now signed 30 of their 50 selections in June's Rule 4 Draft, including 12 of their first 13, 16 of their first 18, and 21 of their first 24. The Cubs were able to convince Acosta to forgo his scholarship at the University of Georgia, where he was one the Dawgs top 2007 baseball recruits. Although he was a "two-way player" (SS/RHP) in high school, the Cubs drafted Acosta as a pitcher.
Cubs 1st Round pick (and #3 overall) 3B Josh Vitters remains unsigned, although the Cubs remain optimistic that a deal can get done. With MLB strongly encouraging its clubs to follow the informal "slotting" system (where clubs pay their 1st round draft picks an amount somewhere between what the player selected above and the player selected below received), negotiations could go down to the wire. So far, only one of the top five overall picks in the 2007 Rule 4 Draft has signed (4th overall pick Clemson LHP Daniel Moskos with PIT for $2.475M), with Vanderbilt LHP David Price (selected #1 overall by TB), Chatsworth (CA) HS 3B Mike Moustakas (selected #2 overall by KC), Vitters, and Georgia Tech C Matt Wieters (selected #5 overall by BAL) still unsigned.
This is the first year where clubs and draftees (and their agents) are operating with a hard-deadline, where if the club can't sign the player by August 15th, the player goes back into the draft the next year, and clubs get compensation picks if they fail to sign any of the their picks from the first three rounds (a 2008 1st round pick one slot lower than where they picked this year if the club fails to sign its 2007 first-rounder, a 2008 2nd round pick one slot lower than where the club picked this year if it fails to signs its '07 second-round pick, and a "sandwich" pick between the 3rd and 4th rounds if it cannot sign its '07 3rd round selection--all IN ADDITION TO their "normal" 2008 1st, 2nd, and/or 3rd round picks).
Of the 20 unsigned Cubs '07 draft picks, six are highly-regarded high school players who have signed National Letters of Intent (NLOI) to attend NCAA or NJCAA schools, three others are hotshot JC players who have transferred to four year schools, and seven are attending four-year colleges where they have eligibility remaining.
2007 RULE 4 DRAFT - SIGNING STATUS
1. Josh Vitters, 3B (Cypress HS – Cypress, CA) UNSIGNED
NOTE: Signed NLOI with Arizona State.
1-S. Josh Donaldson, C (Auburn) BOISE
NOTE: 1st Round (supplemental) compensation pick for losing Type "B" FA OF Juan Pierre to LAD.
2. NONE
NOTE: Pick went to WAS after Cubs signed Type "A" FA OF Alfonso Soriano.
3. Tony Thomas, 2B (Florida State) BOISE
4. Darwin Barney, SS (Oregon State) PEORIA
5. Brandon Guyer, OF (Virginia) AZL CUBS (MESA)
6. Casey Lambert, LHP (Virginia) PEORIA
7. Ty Wright, OF (Oklahoma State) BOISE
8. Marquez Smith, 3B (Clemson) BOISE
NOTE: College teammate of Cubs 2006 #1 pick (OF Tyler Colvin), Smith was selected by Cubs in 2006 draft (35th Round) but did not sign.
9. Clark Hardman, OF (Cal State- Fullerton) PEORIA
NOTE: Freshman All-American in 2004, missed most of 2005 season with torn labrum.
10. Leon Johnson, OF (BYU) PEORIA
NOTE: Spent two years on LDS mission in Siberia (2004-06).
11. Chris Siegfried, LHP (U. of Portland) PEORIA
12. Ryan Acosta, RHP/SS (Clearwater Central Catholic HS - Clearwater, FL) AZL CUBS (MESA)
NOTE: Son of ex-Cubs pitching coach Oscar Acosta (killed in a car crash in Dominican Republic in 2006).
13. Jonathan Wyatt, OF (Georgia) BOISE
14. James Russell, LHP (Texas) UNSIGNED
NOTE: Son of ex-TEX closer Jeff Russell.
15. Marc Sawyer, 1B (Yale) BOISE
16. Zach Ashwood, LHP (Kansas) BOISE
17. Arik Hempy, LHP (South Carolina) BOISE
18. Jeffrey Rea, 2B (Mississippi State) DAYTONA
19. Kyle Day, C (Michigan State) UNSIGNED
20. Jose Made, INF (Dominican College) BOISE
21. Dustin Sasser, LHP (East Carolina) BOISE
22. Craig Muschko, RHP (LaSalle) AZL CUBS (MESA)
23. Stephen Vento, RHP (Palm Beach CC) BOISE
24. Scott Meyer, RHP (Lamar) AZL CUBS (MESA)
25. Victor Sanchez, 3B (Gahr HS – Norwalk, CA) UNSIGNED
NOTE: Member of Team USA Junior National team, signed NLOI with U. of San Diego.
26. Michael Bunton, LHP (College of Charleston) AZL CUBS (MESA)
27. Clayton Suss, RHP (Cooper City HS - Cooper City, FL) UNSIGNED
NOTE: Signed NLOI with Miami-Dade CC.
28. Bill Moss, INF (U. of Memphis) BOISE
29. Andrew Cashner, RHP (Angelina JC) UNSIGNED
NOTE: Has transferred to TCU.
30. Luke Sommer, OF (U. of San Francisco) AZL CUBS (MESA)
31. Brian Leclerc, OF (Florida) PEORIA
32. Luis Bautista, C-1B (Florida International) BOISE
NOTE: Brother of PIT 3B Jose Bautista.
33. Preston Clark, C (Texas) UNSIGNED
NOTE: Team USA's #1 catcher, was rated the #4 catcher in '07 draft by Baseball America, but wants 1st Round money to sign.
34. Enrique Garcia, RHP (U. of Miami) UNSIGNED
NOTE: Has already announced he will be returning to the "U" for his senior year.
35. J. C. Casey, RHP (Kickapoo HS – Kickapoo, MO) UNSIGNED
NOTE: Signed NLOI with Missouri State.
36. Billy Mottram, 3B (Dowling College) DAYTONA
37. Mike McGee, 3B/RHP (Port St. Lucie HS – Port St. Lucie, FL) UNSIGNED
NOTE: Signed NLOI with Florida State.
38. Yuri Higgins, RHP (South Florida) AZL CUBS (MESA)
39. Roberto Sabates, C (Cuban defector - Miami, FL) AZL CUBS (MESA)
NOTE: Played for Industriales in Cuba.
40. Corey Bachman, RHP (VMI) AZL CUBS (MESA)
41. Jordan Herr, OF (Pitt) UNSIGNED
NOTE: Son of ex-STL 2B (and Cub-killer) Tommy Herr.
42. Colt Sedbrook, INF (Arizona) UNSIGNED
43. Garrett Clyde, RHP (San Jacinto JC – North) UNSIGNED
NOTE: Has transferred to Texas.
44. Bryan Jost, 1B (Minnesota) UNSIGNED
45. Ryan Lewis, OF (Yakima Valley CC) UNSIGNED
46. Tyler Clark, RHP (Springfield Catholic HS – Springfield, MO) UNSIGNED
NOTE: Signed NLOI with Missouri.
47. Josh Walter, RHP (Texas State) UNSIGNED
48. Carlos Rivera, OF (East Aurora HS - East Aurora, IL) UNSIGNED
49. Jordan Rogers, RHP (San Jacinto JC - North) UNSIGNED
NOTE: Has transferred to Rice.
50. Blake Murphy, C (Western Carolina) UNSIGNED
NDFA (signed after completion of 2007 Rule 4 Draft)
Patrick Brooks, INF (UT - Pan American) AZL CUBS (MESA)
Hong-Wen Chen, RHP (Taiwan) FITCH PARK INFIRMARY
NOTE: Chen was signed by Cubs Pacific Rim scouting coordinator Steve Wilson a couple of months ago but has been unable to pitch due to "arm fatigue."
Michael Christl, RHP (Bradley) AZL CUBS (MESA)
Matt Hudgins, C (Virginia Wesleyan) AZL CUBS (MESA)
Chris Rivera, RHP (Virginia Wesleyan) AZL CUBS (MESA)
Derek Schermerhorn, INF (Wichita State) PEORIA
Yusdel Tuero, RHP (Cuban defector) DAYTONA
NOTE: Deceptive slop-throwin' side-armin' right-hander (think Rod Beck circa 2003) pitched for Las Vaqueros de la Havana in Cuba
Chih-Hsiang Wen, OF (Taiwan) AZL CUBS (MESA)
NOTE: Like Chen (see above), Wen was signed in June by Cubs Pacific Rim scouting coordinator Steve Wilson, and he may be the worst professional baseball player I have ever seen.
5th YEAR SENIORS (2006 NDFA) signed in May 2007
Michael Bartek, RHP (Nicholls State) PEORIA
John Muller, RHP (St. Thomas Aquinas College) BOISE
NOTE: Was combination SS/RHP (closer) and team captain at Aquinas, has an OUTSTANDING slider.
2006 DRAFT + FOLLOW (DNF) signed in May 2007
Jordan Latham, RHP (College of Southern Idaho) BOISE
NOTE: Cubs 2006 29th Round pick
Marcus Hatley, RHP (Palomar JC) AZL CUBS (MESA)
NOTE: Cubs 2006 39th Round pick, was two-way player (OF/RHP) in college.
Cedric Redmond, RHP (Oakton CC) AZL CUBS (MESA)
NOTE: Cubs 2006 27th Round pick
Jovan Rosa, 3B (Lake City CC) AZL CUBS (MESA)
NOTE: Cubs 2006 22nd Round pick, was his conference's 2007 player of the year and was rated a pre-draft likely '07 Top 5 rounder by BA.
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