The Cubs introduced first round pick Kris Bryant at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon and soon after Bryant’s deal was officially announced, two more players signed with the Cubs. RHP Trevor Clifton and catcher Will Remillard signed for over slot and rounded out what is seen as a solid draft for the Chicago Cubs.
Trevor Clifton indicated in June that he had signed with the Cubs and would not be fulfilling his commitment to the University of Kentucky. Clifton was looking for third round slot money and received a $375,000 signing bonus from the Cubs.
Will Remillard reportedly took a little time to decide whether or not he would sign with the Cubs after he was picked in the 19th round. The Cubs paid Remillard slightly over slot and gave him $150,000.
The Cubs signed each of their first 13 picks and 19 of the first 20 players the team selected in June. The Cubs signed 24 of the first 30 players they drafted and spent $11,068,400 to add talent to the system. The Cubs went $511,900 over their 2013 bonus pool of $10,556,500 according to Baseball America.
Trevor Clifton, the high school right hander from Tennessee, has a big arm and if the Cubs can harness his talent, he has the ability to be a very good pitcher down the road. Clifton is 6-foot-4, 185 pounds and has touched 97 mph on the gun while sitting comfortably in the low-90s with his fastball (92-93 mph). Clifton throws a curveball and a slider with his curveball flashing as a plus pitch.
The Cubs have to work with Clifton to refine his mechanics and smooth out what is considered a raw delivery. Clifton is only 18 years old (May 11, 1995) and has a ton of upside.
The Cubs added another good catcher to a system void of catching prospects near Major League ready. Will Remillard decided to forego his senior season with Coastal Carolina and sign with the Cubs. Remillard impressed scouts with his performance in the Cape Cod League.
Cubs 2013 Draft Signings
- 1st Round – Kris Bryant, 3B
- 2nd Round – Rob Zastryzny, LHP
- 3rd Round – Jacob Hannemann, OF
- 4th Round – Tyler Skulina, RHP
- 5th Round – Trey Masek, RHP
- 6th Round – Scott Frazier, RHP
- 7th Round – David Garner, RHP
- 8th Round – Sam Wilson, LHP
- 9th Round – Charcer Burks, OF
- 10th Round – Zack Godley, RHP
- 11th Round – Jordan Hankins, C/IF
- 12th Round – Trevor Clifton, RHP
- 13th Round – Trevor Graham, RHP
- 15th Round – Michael Wagner, RHP
- 16th Round – Cael Brockmeyer, C
- 17th Round – Kelvin Freeman, 1B
- 18th Round – Giuseppe Papaccio, SS
- 19th Round – Will Remillard, C
- 20th Round – Zak Blair, 2B
- 22nd Round – Kevin Brown, OF
- 23rd Round – Tyler Ihrig, LHP
- 24th Round – Tyler Alamo, C
- 30th Round – Zak Hermans, RHP
A majority of the players the Cubs selected are already in the system and have made their professional debuts. Kris Bryant is scheduled to fly out to Arizona on Monday. Bryant will spend a couple of days at the Cubs’ facility before flying to Los Angeles for the Golden Spikes Awards. Bryant will return to Mesa after the awards to knock the rust off before he reports to the Boise Hawks.