Cubs non-drafted free-agent signings

CHICAGO -- The Cubs had two goals in mind when it came to their conversations with Draft-eligible prospects over the past several weeks. First, Chicago was honing in on targets for the five-round MLB Draft. Next, it was a way to also give a kind of recruiting pitch for players who found themselves in the pool of non-drafted free-agents.

On Sunday, which was the first day teams could sign players in that category for a $20,000 bonus, the Cubs were one of the most aggressive teams out of the gates in a market unique to 2020. Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, the Draft was reduced to five rounds, leaving a large group of athletes who may have been drafted in previous years now up for grabs.

So far, the Cubs have reportedly reached agreements with eight more prospects, including outfielder Bradlee Beesley (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo), lefty Scott Kobos (Coastal Carolina), righty Graham Lawson (South Carolina), righty Ben Leeper (Oklahoma State), infielder Scott McKeon (Coastal Carolina), first baseman/pitcher Matt Mervis (Duke), righty Bailey Reid (Westmont College) and outfielder Jacob Wetzel (Frederick CC). The Cubs have not confirmed the signings, which are pending physicals before becoming official.

Dan Kantrovitz, the Cubs' new vice president of scouting, said on Thursday that the team's legwork in player interviews was important in setting the stage for this signing period.

"I feel like it's been incredibly helpful and invaluable to put the time that we have into it," Kantrovitz said. "And at the end of the day, if you get one big leaguer from the post-Draft process, I think it's a resounding success. That's our goal and I think that it's the same goal you have if you would've been drafting in the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th round."

During their Zoom calls with Draft prospects, the Cubs did not only ask the routine interview questions.

Chicago also had members of its player development and research and development departments on the call. They would go over at-bats or pitch sequences, breaking down thought process or mechanics, and highlights the Cubs' resources and approach in the process. The Cubs also showed off a player development app they developed that makes communication and the exhange of videos and data even easier for players and the team's staff.

When the five-round MLB Draft concluded, and the non-drafted players were left debating their next step, the Cubs hoped the inside look at their development process would help convince some to join the organization.

Here is a glance at the five players added on Sunday:

Bradley Beesley, OF, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
In four seasons with Cal Poly, the 22-year-old Beesley posted a slash line of .288/.350/.382 with 40 doubles, 186 hits, 98 runs, 20 stolen bases and 92 strikeouts compared to 58 walks in 164 games. He hit .283/.351/.374 with 62 hits, including 15 doubles, and 32 runs in 54 games in '19. This spring, Beesley hit .262/.372/.354 with four doubles, 15 runs and 17 hits in 16 games before the season was halted.

Scott Kobos, LHP, Coastal Carolina
The 22-year-old Kobos posted a 6.23 ERA in 23 games (11 starts) in three seasons for Coastal Carolina, but with some intriguing strikeout and control numbers. The lefty had 61 strikeouts vs. 15 walks (4.07 strikeout-to-walk ratio) in 60 2/3 innings in three years. In '20, the 6-foot-2 southpaw had 20 strikeouts against four walks in 19 1/3 innings (five outings).

Graham Lawson, RHP, South Carolina
In three seasons, Lawson logged a 5.27 ERA with 53 strikeouts vs. 26 walks in 56 1/3 innings. This spring, the right-hander had a 1.50 ERA with eight strikeouts and seven walks in six innings before COVID-19 forced the baseball world to shut down.

Ben Leeper, RHP, Oklahoma State
Leeper had a 7.25 ERA in 54 appearances (four starts) over four seasons with Oklahoma State, but his strikeout numbers make him an interesting project for the Cubs. In those four years, the lefty had 99 strikeouts vs. 56 walks in 72 innings (12.4 strikeouts per nine innings). He was off to a strong start in '20, posting 14 strikeouts against six walks with a 2.45 ERA in 7 1/3 innings. That was a rate of 17.2 strikeouts per nine innings before the season's early ending.

Scott McKeon, INF, Coastal Carolina
McKeon, 22, was hitting at a .359 clip through 16 games this year before the campaign came to a close. He had four homers and a 1.003 OPS in 75 plate appearances at that point. In two seasons with Coastal Carolina, McKeon hit .344/.407/.500 with seven homers, 19 doubles, five triples, 48 RBIs, 69 runs and nine steals in nine attempts in 79 games. He had 68 strikeouts and 28 walks in those two seasons combined.

Matt Mervis, 1B/RHP, Duke
In four years at Duke, Mervis hit .281/.384/.461 with nine homers, 15 doubles, 47 RBIs, 45 runs scored and 56 strikeouts compared to 32 walks in 120 games. In the abbreviated '20 campaign, he hit at a .304 clip with three homers, 15 RBIs and a 1.048 OPS in 16 games. Mervis, who doubled as a right-handed pitcher, had a 5.49 ERA with 52 strikeouts against 39 walks in 59 innings (50 games) in his Duke career. This season, he only logged two innings with no runs allowed.

Bailey Reid, RHP, Westmont College
In four years with Westmont College, Reid turned in a 3.02 ERA with a .103 opponents' average in 51 appearances. Within that, the 6-foot-2 right-hander had 78 strikeouts against 45 walks in 47 2/3 innings. Reid did not, however, allow an earned run over the '19-20 seasons combined, amassing 43 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings to go along with that 0.00 ERA. He had 20 strikeouts and six walks in 9 2/3 innings in '20.

Jacob Wetzel, OF, Frederick CC
In two years at Frederick CC, the 5-foot-11 Wetzel doubled as a left-handed-hitting outfielder and a left-handed pitcher. At the plate, he hit .367/.509/.638 with six homers, 13 doubles, 13 triples, 16 steals and 80 runs in 67 games. That included hitting .333/.508/.542 in 17 games in '20. He drew 51 walks and struck out 37 times in those two seasons. On the mound, Wetzel spun a 3.10 ERA with 32 strikeouts and 13 walks in 20 1/3 innings (nine appearances) across the '19-20 campaigns.