Monday, June 19, 2006

Cubbies

According to Baseball America, the Cubs have agreed to a record contract with fifth-round pick Jeff Samardzija. They had a strange draft - a first round pick and then nothing until Samardzija in the fifth round. Their first round pick, Tyler Colvin, was considered a reach by almost everybody, and the thought is that they went with a lesser talent in the first round so they could save money to sign Samardzija in the fifth. Samardzija was considered a top talent, but he's a two-sport player, and dropped far because most teams figured they couldn't get him away from football.

Still, it's strange. For the amount they're paying Samardzija, they could probably have signed whatever first-round pick they wanted, plus any other player in the fifth round that fell because of signability concerns. Of course, if Samardzija ends up choosing football, they're not out all that much money. But it seems stupidly Cub-like to me. Hopefully he won't be the next Joe Borchard. Or Josh Booty. Or Drew Henson.

2 comments:

Ross said...

Drew Henson should have worked out, talent and skill-wise. Besides prodigous high-school numbers, during summer break from college he was great in the minors.

When he signed the big contract to commit to baseball only, that was when he turned terrible. It seems like it was a mental thing with him.

You can get that with any high money draft pick.

Ross said...

Drew Henson should have worked out, talent and skill-wise. Besides prodigous high-school numbers, during summer break from college he was great in the minors.

When he signed the big contract to commit to baseball only, that was when he turned terrible. It seems like it was a mental thing with him.

You can get that with any high money draft pick.