Minor League Wrap: Ariel Armas leads South Bend past Dayton, 9-2

Wins for South Bend and Myrtle Beach. Miguel Amaya starts his rehab. Lots of draftees sign.

Right-hander Chris Kachmar was promoted to Triple-A Iowa from Double-A Knoxville.

Left-hander Chase Watkins was promoted to Knoxville from High-A South Bend.

The Cubs signed a ton of draft picks and assigned them all to the ACL Cubs for now. That won’t last long as the ACL Cubs’ season ends on Thursday.

But the draft picks who have signed are as follows, alongside their reported bonus and what the slot value for that spot was.

1st round pick Ethan Conrad OF $3.56 million bonus (Slot value $4.75 million)—already reported

2nd rounder Kane Kepley OF $1.40 million (slot—$1.68 million)

3rd round Dominick Reid RHP $649.13k (slot—$865.50k)

5th round Kade Snell OF $200k (slot—$465.40)

7th round Pierce Coppola LHP $278.50 (exactly slot)

8th round Jake Knapp RHP $175k (slot—$225k)

9th round Colton Book LHP $100k (slot—$201.80)

10th round Justin Stransky C $140k (slot—$190.30)

11th round Eli Jerzembeck RHP $150k

15th round Noah Edders RHP $100

No slot on rounds 11 and later, but teams can’t sign a player for over $150,000 without the overage counting against their bonus pool.

I don’t feel like doing the math. You can do it if you want to. But a quick calculation in my head tell me the Cubs have a little over $2.1 million (plus the slot value for their 4th and 6th round picks) to sign what’s left plus the five percent over that you can go without losing a draft pick.

So they should have enough money to sign their high school draft picks: 4th rounder Kaleb Wing, 6th rounder Josiah Hartshorn, 14th rounder Kaemyn Franklin and 19th rounder Caleb Barnett, if Barnett is willing to reconsider his strong commitment to Alabama. I believe the first three names will sign. Barnett seems rather unlikely but not impossible.

UPDATE (since I wrote that):

So there’s a big chunk of those slot savings.

Another Update!

Franklin also signed, although I don’t have a bonus amount on him. I would assume that Barrett is going to Alabama.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were frightened by the Louisville Bats (Reds), 9-4.

Chris Kachmar started and took the loss after getting tagged for five runs on five hits over four innings. One of the five runs was unearned. The big blow was a three-run home run by Christian Encarnacion-Strand that appeared to be foul. Manager Marty Pevey was ejected arguing that call. Kachmar struck out five and walked two.

Right fielder Owen Caissie put on a show, going 5 for 5 with two doubles and a two-run home run in the third inning that went 424 feet. It was his 20th home run this year. Caissie scored twice.

Second baseman James Triantos was 2 for 3 with a walk and one run scored.

DH Carlos Pérez went 2 for 5 with a double.

Caissie’s home run.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were speared by the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins), 6-4 in 13 innings.

Antonio Santos pitched the first three innings without allowing a run. Santos surrendered just one hit while walking one and hitting one batter. He struck out four.

Santos’ short start and Sam Thoresen leaving with an injury after just two batters tonight meant that the Smokies went through seven pitcher. Still, Knoxville clung on to a 1-0 lead going to the top of the ninth where closer AJ Puckett gave up two runs.

But because the Smokies tied the game up 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the ninth, the game went to extras. It was decided in the 13th inning when Tyler Santana allowed two runs and took the loss. Santana’s final line was two runs, one earned, on two hits over one inning. He struck out one and walked no one.

The Smokies had just six hits today, all singles. First baseman BJ Murray Jr. was 1 for 4 with a walk and an RBI.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs slew the Dayton Dragons (Reds), 9-2.

Starter Connor Schultz lasted four innings, allowing two runs on six hits. Schultz struck out three, walked no one and struck out one.

Evan Taylor relieved Schultz in the fifth and got the win. (Not because Schultz didn’t go five. The Cubs took the lead in the top of the sixth.) Taylor did not allow a hit or a run over three innings. Taylor walked one and struck out four.

First baseman Brian Kalmer hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning, his fourth on the season. Kalmer went 1 for 4.

Second baseman Rafael Morel hit a three-run double in the sixth inning to give the Cubs the lead. Morel went 2 for 3 with two doubles and a walk. He scored one run and had the three RBI.

Left fielder Edgar Alvarez was 4 for 5. He had one RBI and two runs scored.

Catcher Ariel Armas doubled twice in a 2 for 5 game. His first double in the sixth inning scored one run and his second one in the seventh drove home two. Armas scored once.

Shortstop Cristian Hernandez was 2 for 5 with one run scored.

RBI doubles for Morel and Armas.

Kalmer’s home run just barely cleared the fence in left-center.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans turned out the lights on the Columbia Fireflies (Royals), 9-3.

Ronny Lopez made his Pelicans debut and he struggled to find the plate. Lopez finished the night allowing two runs on three hits over three innings. He walked five and hit two batters (actually the same batter twice) and struck out two.

The win went to Charlie Hurley, who pitched the next two innings without allowing a score. Hurley gave up just one hit. He struck out three and walked one.

Catcher Owen Ayers hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning and the Pelicans never trailed after that. It was Ayers sixth home run on the year. He went 1 for 4. Ayers has a 16-game hitting streak.

In the fifth inning, right fielder Alexey Lumpuy hit a two-run home run, also his sixth. Lumpuy was 1 for 5.

Shortstop Alexis Hernandez was 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI infield single in the seventh. He also scored one run.

Second baseman Ty Southisene went 2 for 5 with a double. He drove in two and scored two runs.

Center fielder Leonel Espinoza was 2 for 5. He scored twice.

Lumpuy’s home run.

ACL Cubs

Lost to the Giants, 12-4.

Miguel Amaya started this game as the DH and went 1 for 2.