Cubs agree to terms with 10 draft picks, including 2024 1st round selection
The Cubs wasted little time in locking up their top pick from this week’s draft.
The team came to terms with 1st-round selection, infielder Cam Smith, it was announced on Saturday. They also agreed to terms with 9 other players from the 20-round draft, including 9 of their first 10 picks.
The Cubs also agreed to terms with their 2nd-round pick, infielder Clint Mathis and 3rd-round pick, shortstop Ronny Cruz.
Smith, 21, was taken 14th overall in Sunday night’s 1st round out of Florida State University. Smith hit .387 with 22 doubles, 16 home runs, 47 RBI and a 1.142 OPS across 66 games for Florida State in 2024. He had a breakout campaign in the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2023, winning the Robert A. McNece Award for Most Outstanding Prospect.
He was one of the top prospects when he was a high school senior, but opted to honor his commitment at Florida State and was rewarded this year with a 1st-round selection.
“Cam is actually somebody that — dating back to high school when he was coming out of South Florida — we had quite a bit of interest,” Cubs VP of scouting Dan Kantrovitz said. “His combination of performance and tools and still some upside with some unlocks that we’ve identified, I think, make it a pretty exciting combination of characteristics. He’s somebody that, I think, checked a lot of different boxes for us.
Mathis, 20, had 14 home runs at the College of Charleston and hit .335 in 2024. Like Smith, Mathis is an advanced college hitter who impressed in the Cape Cod League.
“He’s just got a natural swing plane that lends itself to consistently hitting the ball in the air,” Kantrovitz said. “And then with his size and strength, he ends up putting a pretty good charge into it.”
Beyond Smith, Mathis and Cruz, the Cubs agreed to terms with catcher Ariel Armas (5th round, University of San Diego), RHP Ryan Gallagher (6th round, UC-Santa Barbara), outfielder Ivan Brethowr (7th round, UCSB), 1B Edgar Alvarez (8th round, Nicholls State), RHP Brooks Caple (9th round, UC-San Diego) and RHP Daniel Avitia (12th round, Grand Canyon University.
