The Cubs made it official Thursday. The team announced the signing of first round draft pick, OF/2B Ian Happ. The Cubs did not disclose the terms of his contract. According to multiple reports, the Cubs signed Happ for $3 million. The slot allotment for the No. 9 pick in the draft was $3,351,000.
The Cubs also announced the signing of nine other players taken in last week’s draft. LHP Ryan Kellogg (Fifth Round), RHP Dave Berg (Sixth Round), RHP Craig Brooks (Seventh Round), INF Vimael Machin (Tenth Round), INF Blake Headley (20th Round), RHP Jared Cheek (21st Round), LHP John Williamson (23rd Round), C Marcus Mastrobuoni (25th Round) and INF Angelo Amendolare (27th Round) are all officially members of the Cubs’ organization.
OF/2B Ian Happ
Jed Hoyer said Thursday the plan for Ian Happ is to have him play in the outfield this season and let him hit. The Cubs will start working on his infield defense during fall instructs.
Ian Happ, 20, this season batted .369 (73-for-198) with 47 runs scored, 18 doubles, 14 home runs and 44 RBI for the Cincinnati Bearcats. He walked 49 times to contribute to a .492 on-base percentage, and his .672 slugging mark gave him a 1.164 OPS. Happ led the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and tied for the lead in walks. He also led his team in runs, hits, doubles, homers and RBI.
Named a semi-finalist for the 2015 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, the switch-hitting Happ was recognized as the 2015 AAC Player of the Year, named First Team Academic All-American, Second Team Louisville Slugger All-American and was a unanimous first team All-Conference member as voted on by the league’s head coaches. He was listed as one of the top three pure college hitters in this year’s Draft by Baseball America.
The six-foot, 205-pound Happ batted .338 (194-for-574) with 120 runs, 44 doubles, two triples, 25 home runs and 107 RBI in three seasons at Cincinnati. He drew more walks (128) than strikeouts (116), contributing to a .463 on-base percentage, and along with his .552 slugging mark has recorded a 1.015 OPS through his junior season. Happ has seen time in both right field and center field, as well as second base, third base and shortstop.
LHP Ryan Kellogg
Ryan Kellogg was 9-2 in 16 starts this past season with a 3.60 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. Kellogg gave up 121 hits with 23 walks and 92 strikeouts in 115 innings. For his college career, Kellogg allowed 338 hits with 62 walks and 212 strikeouts in 321 innings over 48 games, 47 starts.
Kellogg throws his fastball in the 88-91 mph range, with sink, and what was described as a “decent breaking ball.” According to Baseball America, Kellogg features a four-pitch mix (slider, curveball, changeup) with a feel for all four pitches, the change of pace is his best secondary pitch. Kellogg throws a lot of strikes, but does not miss a lot of bats. Kellogg pitches to a lot of contact.
Ryan Kellogg projects as a starter in the big leagues, likely backend of a rotation. Kellogg fits the profile of a player the Cubs draft, he receives high marks for his makeup.
• Full Report: Cubs Agree to Terms with Fifth Round Pick LHP Ryan Kellogg
RHP Dave Berg
Submariner Dave Berg is a 6-foot, 190-pound right hander out of UCLA and he holds the NCAA record for the most saves in a single season. Berg closed out 24 games in 2013 and earned All-Pac-12 honors three years in a row.
Berg has excellent command of an 83-85 mph fastball that has sinking and running life. Berg throws a slider “with a Frisbee lateral action and locates it well” according to Baseball America.
Dave Berg was 7-1 in 43 games this past season with a 0.67 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP. Berg allowed seven runs, five earned, on 49 hits with eight walks and 65 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings. Berg finished his four years at UCLA with a 22-6 record in 175 games with a 1.11 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. Berg struck out 241 batters while allowing 44 walks in 267 innings.
RHP Craig Brooks
Craig Brooks, 22, is 5-foot-10, 180-pound right-hander and he put up impressive numbers on the mound. Brooks was Catawba’s regular third baseman this past season when he was not pitching. On the mound he excelled as a starter and reliever and was Division II Pitcher and Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player.
Brooks led Division II in strikeouts and finished his career with a 23-4 record and a 1.94 ERA that included 12 saves. Brooks threw a no-hitter last February, his first at any level of baseball. Brooks was the closer during the Division II Championships and save the three games Catawba won. Brooks struck out 11 of the 17 batters he faced in the tournament.
Brooks was 9-1 this past season with 158 strikeouts in 99 innings.
Craig Brooks reportedly has good command and throws his fastball in the low- to mid-90s (93-94 mph) as a starter. Brooks can run his fastball up to the high-90s as a reliever (97 mph) and features a cutter, a curveball and changeup.
Craig Brooks was an American Legion teammate of the Cubs’ eighth round pick, RHP Preston Morrison.
• Full Report: Cubs Sign Seventh Round Pick RHP Craig Brooks
INF Vimael Machin
Vimael Machin is 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, bats from the left side and throws right-handed.
In 65 games this past season for Virginia Commonwealth, Machin batted .339/.401/.441 with 13 doubles, two triples and three home runs for a .842 OPS. Machin walked (27) almost as many times as he struck out (28). Machin finished his four-year career at VCU with a .305/.387/.413 slash line. In 226 games, Machin hit 45 doubles, five triples and 12 home runs for a .800 OPS. As is the case with most of the players the Cubs draft, Machin walked 100 times with 109 strikeouts in his college career.
Machin projects as a utility infielder in the majors. And his ability to learn multiple positions in the infield will increase his value.
• Full Report: Cubs Sign Tenth Round Pick SS Vimael Machin
INF Blake Headley
Blake Headley turned 22 in May and is 6-foot-2, 220 pounds. The lefty hitting Headley put up solid numbers as a senior at Nebraska. Headley batted .271/.345/.425 with 18 doubles, five triples and two home runs for a .770 OPS. As a junior, Headley hit .323/.370/.413 with eight doubles, two triples and two home runs.
Headley was named second-team All-Big Ten as a first baseman following the 2014 season. Headley was third-team All-Big Ten the year before as a third baseman.
RHP Jared Cheek
Jared Cheek (switch hitter, 5-foot-11, 180 pounds) appeared in 22 games as a reliever for the University of Georgia this past season. Cheek was 2-2 with a 2.34 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. Cheek struck out 31 batters with 16 walks in 34 2/3 innings. Cheek allowed two of the 12 runners he inherited to score.
Jared Cheek finished his college career with a 12-13 record in 75 games, 12 starts, with a 3.34 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. Cheek saved nine games (six in 2015) and gave up 146 hits with 63 walks and 133 strikeouts in 159 innings.
LHP John Williamson
Lefty John Garland Williamson is 22 years old and pitched in 15 games out of Rice’s bullpen this past season. Williamson was 1-2 with a 3.98 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. In 20 1/3 innings, he allowed 12 runs, nine earned, on 17 hits with six walks and 20 strikeouts. Williamson earned one save.
In four years as a pitcher, Williamson was 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP in 20 games.
Williamson batted .284/.352/.312 in 38 games last season with three doubles, 10 walks and 14 strikeouts. Williamson played in 53 of Rice’s 59 games this past year. Williamson lined up in the outfield for 35 games, pitched in 15 and was the team’s DH in three games.
C Marcus Mastrobuoni
Marcus Mastrobuoni batted .357/.425/.522 from the right side with 15 doubles, a triple, three home runs, 17 walks and 20 strikeouts in 43 games this past season for Cal State Stanislaus. And had a .990 fielding percentage behind the plate.
Mastrobuoni is 5-foot-11, 205 pounds and turns 22 in November.
INF Angelo Amendolare
Angelo Amendolare is a right-handed hitting and throwing infielder that put up good numbers for Jacksonville this past season. In 56 games, Amendolare batted .366/.441/.480 with 16 doubles, two triples and two home runs for a .921 OPS. Amendolare walked (27) one less time than he struck out (28) in 227 at bats. And he stole 20 bases.
2015 Draft Results
Cubs 2015 First-Year Player Draft
The Cubs signing bonus pool for the first 10 rounds of this year’s draft is $7,236,100 million down from $8,352,200 million from a year ago. If the Cubs sign a player in rounds 11-40 for more than $100,000, the excess is counted against the team’s bonus pool. If the Cubs draft a player in the first 10 rounds they are unable sign, the assigned slot value is removed from their bonus pool allotment.
Draft Picks and Assigned Values for the Cubs first 10 rounds:
- Round One (Pick #9) – $3,351,000 – OF/2B Ian Happ – Signed: $3,000,000
- Round Two (Pick #47) – $1,292,100 – OF Donnie Dewees
- Round Three (Pick #82) – $731,000 – LHP Bryan Hudson
- Round Four (Pick #113) – $503,100 – OF D.J. (Darryl) Wilson
- Round Five (Pick #143) – $376,700 – LHP Ryan Kellogg – Signed: $376,700
- Round Six (Pick #173) – $281,900 – RHP David Berg – Signed: (Bonus Unknown)
- Round Seven (Pick #203) – $211,300 – RHP Craig Brooks – Signed: $5,000
- Round Eight (Pick #233) – $174,200 – RHP Preston Morrison
- Round Nine (Pick #263) – $162,800 – LHP Tyler Peitzmeier
- Round Ten (Pick #293) – $152,000 – SS Vimael Machin – Signed: $2,000
- Round Twenty (Pick #593) – 3B Blake Headley – Signed: (Bonus Unknown)
- Round Twenty-One (Pick #623) – RHP Jared Cheek – Signed: (Bonus Unknown)
- Round Twenty-Three (Pick #683) – LHP John Williamson – Signed: (Bonus Unknown)
- Round Twenty-Five (Pick #743) – C Marcus Mastrobuoni – Signed: (Bonus Unknown)
- Round Twenty-Seven (Pick #803) – 2B Angelo Amendolare – Signed: (Bonus Unknown)
There is still a lot of work to do for the front office to get as many of the recent draft picks signed by July 17 and in the system. Having 10 players signed, including the first round pick the week after the draft is a good start.
Ian Happ took batting practice at the Cubs’ facility Thursday and should report to Short-Season Eugene in the very near future.