Dillon Maples signs with Chicago Cubs

By Bret Strelow, Fayetteville Observer

The Chicago Cubs signed former Pinecrest High School pitcher Dillon Maples on Monday, reportedly for a $2.5 million bonus. At 12:16 a.m. on Tuesday, shortly after the signing deadline had passed, Maples posted "officially a cub" on his Facebook page.

Maples (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) is an elite right-handed pitcher with a mid-90s fastball and devastating curveball. Baseball America ranked him as the 46th-best prospect in the 2011 draft, and the Cubs selected him in the 14th round with the 429th overall pick. He went later than projected based on his signability, which was affected by a scholarship to play both baseball and football in college at North Carolina.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Maples received the largest bonus ever for a player taken after the second round. Javier Baez, selected in the first round with the ninth overall pick by the Cubs, reportedly received a $2.6 million bonus.

The Maples family was comfortable asking for a large sum of money because playing two sports for the Tar Heels was also an appealing option with plenty of value, and the Cubs were willing to invest a lot in this year's draft class.

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