The Chicago Cubs have agreed to terms with their top draft pick, OF Albert Almora, taking him No. 6 overall in the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft. According to Jim Callis of Baseball America, the Cubs have finally signed the young athlete:
#Cubs agree w/1st-rder Albert Almora on $3.9 mil (pick value=$3.25 mil). Florida HS OF w/lots of tools & polish. #mlbdraft
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisBA) July 9, 2012
And were the Cubs efficient at managing their budget under the new collective bargaining agreement? According to Callis, the Cubs finished with cash to spare:
About $22k left w/o losing pick.@davidrelliott: So no money leftover whatsoever for #Cubs now, right? Guess we're done. #mlbdraft
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisBA) July 9, 2012
The Cubs reportedly went $373,800 over their bonus pool budget, but avoided the second tier of penalties -- which include the loss of a first round draft pick -- by keeping under the $396,695 limit (5% of their bonus pool), leaving them just about $23,000 under.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, head over to Cubs blog Bleed Cubbie Blue. For more comprehensive MLB prospect and draft coverage, visit Minor League Ball. And for more news and notes from around the league, check out Baseball Nation.
