Chicago Cubs Prospects: 2023 MLB draft class fully signed, where will the players go?

1st Round 

Matt Shaw SS Maryland

Slot Value: $4,848,500

Signing Bonus: $4,848,500

Total Bonus Pool O/U: $0

Matt Shaw signed for his full slot bonus. Many pundits had him as the third-best college hitter in this draft behind Wyatt Langford and Dylan Crews who both went in the top-five. He’ll likely start in Rookie ball in the next couple of weeks. 

In an ideal world, he’ll be there for about a week to get his timing back, then skip Low-A Myrtle Beach altogether and play third base at High-A South Bend along with Jefferson Encarnacion and Cristian Hernandez. If he rips the cover off of the ball we could see him end the season at AA Tennessee and be in Chicago by some point next year.

2nd Round

Jaxon Wiggins RHP Arkansas

Slot Value: $1,101,000

Signing Bonus: $1,401,500 (Overslot)

Total Bonus Pool O/U: -$300,500

Wiggins is going to be one of the more interesting players in this class. If I had to guess the Cubs will hold him out for the remainder of the season to allow him to continue his rehab from Tommy John surgery, but I could see him getting some work in winter league. 

After that, the interest will increase even more because if they truly view him as a starter then he’ll likely be on the Cade Horton trajectory where he spends some time at Myrtle Beach until he proves he’s too good and then go to South Bend. If they view him as a reliever then he would probably still start in Myrtle Beach but he could be on more of a Daniel Palencia trajectory where they fast-track him to try to get him to the Majors by the end of next season or the beginning of 2025.