The Cubs announced this afternoon that they’ve agreed to terms with first-round draft pick Jordan Wicks. Wicks will receive a signing bonus of $3.1323MM, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (Twitter link). That’s exact slot value for the 21st overall pick, with which Wicks was selected. Wicks is represented by Craig Rose of Paragon Sports International.
In fact, the Cubs have come to terms with nearly all of their top picks, the club announced. Among their draftees in the top ten rounds, only second-rounder James Triantos, a third baseman from a Virginia high school, has yet to put pen to paper.
Wicks is viewed by evaluators as one of the more polished and safer arms in this year’s class. The 21-year-old performed well in all three of his seasons at Kansas State University (and dominated in a four-start cameo in the wood bat Northwoods League last summer). Over the course of his career with the Wildcats, Wicks pitched to a 3.24 ERA across 203 innings, striking out 26.9% of batters faced while walking just 6.8% of opponents.
The southpaw’s quality three-pitch mix is headlined by perhaps the best changeup in this year’s class. He also draws praise for his ability to command both sides of the plate and throws a 90-94 MPH fastball and a low-mid 80’s slider. Each of Baseball America, Eric Longenhagen and Kevin Goldstein of FanGraphs, and Keith Law of the Athletic slotted Wicks among the twenty most talented players in this year’s class, with Longenhagen and Goldstein writing that Wicks “is the surest healthy bet (in the class) to stick in a rotation” aside from top ten picks Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker.
chitown311
$3.1323mm? I thought the Cubs were broke??
mjpeez
Did you think draft picks were free?
classicmixup
Go troll somewhere else
cubs2016
For someone who’s team is in 1st by 8 games entering tonight, he worries more about a team that more recently put together sustained success going through a retool.
Doug Dascenzo
Literally every White Sox fan. Probably gonna coast to a division title, yet all they think about is us. Y’all have exciting players, and are playing well. You should check them out.
ABCD
Can’t beat the Trashtros though. Could be a quick exit this fall.
Dock_Elvis
“Us?” You’re a tool of marketing by an organization that buried several generations without sniffing a World Championship. There’s no “us”…. Prior to 2016, the last World Series the Cubs played in was the same month my grandfather came home from World War II.
White Sox fans have made a SPORT of crap talking on the Cubs for decades. I just don’t think Cubs fans have any room to give any other fan base advice. After 2016 Cubs fans became just as insufferable as Red Sox fans. You have one winner since Henry Ford mass produced the automobile….and a LOT longer history of blaming barn yard animals for losses, than winning…so stifle it.
rondon
He’s just hovering as usual.
Logjammer D"Baggagecling
It was out of Jed’s pocket. So the cubs value is still at 3.4 billion dollars. And they’re somehow broke. I thought the pirates never did anything significant or the A’s. The Ricketts are giving those 2 team owners a run for their money and never wanting to spend it.
1984wasntamanual
Below are Cots #s for opening season 26 man and 40 man CB payrolls (Figures in millions of dollars, as of 4/1/21. MLB rank in parentheses.)
If you’re going to troll…be better.
White Sox – $128.7 (15) $169.3 (12)
Cubs – $147.8 (12) $173.0 (11)
BillyBaggins – as usual, you sound like you need to go back to yelling at clouds. Please educate yourself a little bit, you make cubs fans look bad. See below, one of those things is not like the others.
A’s – $83.8 (23) $100.3 (23)
Pirates – $45.2 (30) $62.9 (30)
Cubs – $147.8 (12) $173.0 (11)
PutPeteinthehall
Baseball does not allow trading of draft picks. Guess they can sign him and move him later though.
DarkSide830
once the offseason starts a respective season’s picks are eligible to be dealt.
BeforeMcCourt
I believe it’s 6 months from signing. So not immediate in November, but during the offseason
themailman
1 year after draft
mils100
Guessing most teams including the Cubs will just tell pitchers to take the rest of the summer off, go to instructional maybe in the fall to check things out and start up again in 2022. You can’t predict injuries but this kid has a really good chance to be a solid big leaguer. This draft was so deep so every team should get some good players out of this draft.
timyanks
if only rowan wick was still a catcher as a cub
PutPeteinthehall
Wick Wicks Wieck. At least they have cornered the market on one thing.