Chicago Cubs: Three intriguing prospects to watch following Rule 5 Draft

Chicago Cubs: Bolstering the relief core

While the buzz surrounding the big-name pitching names did not involve the Cubs, the team did not leave the Winter Meetings with nothing to show. The Cubs selected former San Diego Padres pitching prospect Trevor Megill in the first round of the Rule 5 draft.

San Diego drafted Megill back in 2015 and he’s experienced some success during his years in the system. In 2019, Megill posted a respectable 3.86 ERA across High, Double and Triple-A. At Double-A, Megill posted a 1.42 ERA over 6 1/3 innings. While that is barely a sample size to go from, it is still a promising outlook for the big 26-year-old right-hander

The 6’8″ hurler struck out 71 batters in 50 1/3 innings at Triple-A last season and managed to carry a strikeout rate north of 30 percent over all three levels.

Megill hosts a three-pitch mix of a fastball, slider, and curveball. His slider bites and sits between 84-86 mph and he can run his fastball up to 96 mph. Throw in a 12-6 curve, and Megill could profile this season as a reliable relief arm for David Ross and the Cubs.