Cubs Sign RHP Mark Leiter Jr., Top Draft Prospects, and Other Cubs Tidbits

At this point with the lockout in full force, we are forced to get excited about what would normally be "insignificant" signings. I'm talking about signing minor league free agents, which can sometimes be significant, but it's not usually noticed as much because of MLB action.

It is somewhat interesting to me that signing MiLB free agents is allowed during the lockout. I mean, I get that the minor leagues are not locked out, only MLB players are "locked out" from MLB teams, but it still seems a little odd. But it is the way it is, so we'll just have to roll with it and get excited when someone signs a minor league player, because at least it's something.

Anyway, the Cubs made one of these MiLB signings, and signed RHP Mark Leiter Jr. to a minor league deal. 

• Leiter has spent most of his career with the Phillies, having been in their system since 2013 and making his MLB debut in 2017, but he then bounced around a little bit before he signed a minor league with the Tigers before the 2021 season and spent time in Double A and Triple A.
• In 2017, when he made his MLB debut, he ended up pitching 90.2 innings and put up a 4.96 ERA. In 2018, spending time with the Blue Jays and D-Backs, he struggled a bit more, having a 7.71 ERA in 23.1 IP. However, in 2021 he pitched a solid 3.34 ERA (30.5% K rate) in 89 IP with Triple A. 
• An interesting thing to note is that he dominated the Iowa Cubs Sept. 10th in which he pitched 7 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 0 ER and 14 K. Perhaps the Cubs saw something they liked about him and when he went up as a free agent, they took their move. 
• He throws 5 different pitches: FB, cutter, splitter, sinker and curve. He averages 91-92 with FB and sinker. Not a hard-throwing pitcher, but the strikeout rates are impressive.

MLB came out with their top 100 draft prospects for 2022, so it is interesting to see what the Cubs range of prospects would look like. The Cubs get the 7th pick for the draft, and because teams don't always go in order of how the prospects are ranked, I'll list some prospects from the 5-9 range

• (No. 5) Brooks Lee, SS. Press Box said this quote on him: "Lee has turned himself into a premier draft prospect who has shot up rankings over the last year. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound shortstop slashed .342/.384/.626 with 10 homers and 57 RBIs as a sophomore at Cal Poly before traveling across the country to Massachusetts to play in the prestigious wood-bat Cape Cod League. With the country’s finest college baseball talent around him, Lee slashed .405/.432/.667 with six home runs and 13 RBIs."
• (No. 6) Jace Jung, 2B. Baseball America says this on him: "The younger brother of 2019 Rangers' first-rounder Josh Jung, Jace is a lefthanded hitter with power who is coming off a .337/.462/.697 season with 21 home runs and 10 doubles."
  
• (No. 7) Brock Jones, OF. Baseball America says this on him: "Jones previously played safety on Stanford’s football team, and last spring had a breakout campaign with a .311/.453/.646 slash line, 18 home runs, 13 doubles and an impressive 49 walks—good for an 18.3% walk rate"
• (No. 8) Chase Delauter, OF. Prospects Live says this about him: "DeLauter is a physical specimen. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, the product of Martinsburg, West Virginia can really bang at the plate. He burst onto the scene in 2021, slashing .386/.508/.723 with 6 homers and 7 stolen bases in just 26 games."
• (No. 9) Dylan Lesko, RHP. Baseball America says this on him: "He has been seen as the top pitching prospect in his class for several years now thanks to pitching ability well beyond his years, a loose and easy arm action, lean frame and a three-pitch mix that could be plus across the board."

If the draft lined up perfectly, the Cubs would get Brock Jones in the first round, which certainly would not be a bad pick, but Dylan Lesko really caught my eye, and with Hawkins' experience developing pitchers, I can't help but wonder if they might go for him.

On that Cubs' deadlifing fad:

Welcome to the Cubs Deadlift Challenge Poll.

I know there will be more entries over the coming days, so we can always add and keep it rolling. Vote in thread. pic.twitter.com/gVPKLtMBCN

— Evan Altman (@DEvanAltman) December 16, 2021

That's all for now!