The First-Year Player Draft begins Thursday night at 6:00pm CDT. The MLB Network will carry the draft with MLB Network Radio providing additional coverage and analysis from Jim Bowden, Grant Paulsen and Jim Duquette.
Baseball America and Jonathan Mayo released their final mock drafts Thursday morning and both John Manuel and Jonathan Mayo think the Cubs will select a position player with the fourth pick.
Jed Hoyer said Wednesday the team spent three hours debating the player the team will take with the fourth pick and narrowed their decision to six possibilities. But with picking fourth, the three teams above them will dictate the players that are left on the board when the Cubs are on the clock.
John Manuel and Jonathan Mayo said the Cubs would like to take Carlos Rodon or Brady Aiken with the fourth pick. But it is looking like both pitchers will be taken in the first three picks. The Cubs could go off the board and take a college player with an under-slot deal and use the money saved on the first round pick later in the draft.
John Manuel sees the Cubs taking OF Michael Conforto and Jonathan Mayo thinks the Cubs will take C/OF Kyle Schwarber from Indiana.
As John Manuel pointed out, the Cubs could use the cost-saving with the fourth pick to “pay above-slot bonuses later to high-ceiling high school pitchers such as Jack Flaherty, Michael Kopech or Joey Gatto.” Keith Law reported Tuesday that the Cubs are “one of several teams” hoping they can land RHP Jack Flaherty with a later pick in the draft.
John Manuel reported if Nick Gordon is willing to sign an under-slot deal he could be an option for the Cubs with the fourth pick as well. And Manuel also sees Kyle Schwarber a possibility for the Cubs.
Baseball America has LHP Brady Aiken going to the Astros with the first pick, followed by LHP Carlos Rodon to the Marlins and RHP Tyler Kolek to the White Sox. The rest of Baseball America’s top 10 is Nick Gordon (Twins), Alex Jackson (Mariners), Aaron Nola (Phillies), Kyle Schwarber (Rockies), Max Pentecost (Blue Jays) and Forrest Wall (Mets).
Jonathan Mayo’s top ten picks: Brady Aiken (Astros), Carlos Rodon (Marlins), Tyler Kolek (White Sox), Kyle Schwarber (Cubs), Nick Gordon (Twins), Alex Jackson (Mariners), Aaron Nola (Phillies), Michael Conforto (Rockies), Trea Turner (Blue Jays) and Sean Newcomb (Mets).
The general consensus is that the Blue Jays will take RHP Jeff Hoffman with the 11th overall pick in the first round. Both Manuel and Mayo have Hoffman going to Toronto with that pick in their last mock drafts.
- Baseball America Mock Draft 5.0
- MLB Pipeline Mock Draft – Jonathan Mayo
- MLB Pipeline Mock Draft – Jim Callis
2014 Draft Info
- Three Mock Drafts, Three Possible Picks for the Cubs
- Player Profile: Alex Jackson
- Player Profile: Kyle Freeland
- Player Profile: Aaron Nola
- Jason McLeod Discussed the Cubs and the Upcoming Draft on the MLB Network
- Three Possible Position Players for the Cubs in the Latest Mock Drafts
- Player Profile: Max Pentecost
- Player Profile: Tyler Beede
- Player Profile: Nick Gordon
- Baseball America’s Latest Mock Draft Has Cubs Landing Carlos Rodon
- Player Profile: Michael Conforto
- MLB Pipeline and Baseball America Mock Drafts Have Cubs Selecting an Outfielder or a Pitcher
- Keith Law Has Cubs Taking OF Michael Conforto in the Latest Mock Draft