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Cubs nearing end of draft work with 16 of 20 picks signed

The Cubs appear to be nearing the end of their draft work, with 16 of 20 picks signed.

The most recent addition was second-rounder James Triantos from Northern Virginia. A high school shortstop who may project to a third baseman in the pros. Triantos signed for a reported $2.1 million. He was a North Carolina commit who had some leverage to get a nice bonus.

The Cubs have signed all of their top 10 picks. Beyond the top 10, they were able to sign No. 13 Erian Rodriguez, a RHP from Panama; No. 14 Frankie Scalzo Jr., a right-handed reliever from Grand Canyon; No. 15 B.J. Murray, a third baseman from Florida Atlantic and Bahamas native; No. 16 Zachary Leigh, a RHP from Texas State; No. 17 Christian Olivo, a 17-year-old Puerto Rico native; and No. 18 Dominic Hambley, a RHP from British Columbia who was an Oregon State commit.

The Cubs took a chance with two high school players at No. 11 and 12 - RHP Gage Ziehl, a Miami commit from Rochester, N.Y.; and OF Teo Banks, a Tulane commit from Odessa, Tex. Both players said after the draft they planned to attend college.

Their 20th-round pick, 6-foot-8 LHP Wilson Cunningham from Laguna Niguel, Calif., is a University of Chicago commit and seemed unlikely to sign with the Cubs.

That would leave No. 19 pick Daniel Avitia, a high school RHP from Arizona as the remaining question mark. Avitia had a great spring, beating the top-ranked team in the Arizona state semifinals at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, the Cubs' former spring home.

Avitia has committed to playing at Grand Canyon, where he would join his older brother David, a catcher. But then David Avitia signed with the Cubs as an undrafted free agent. So maybe Daniel will join his brother in the Cubs farm system instead.

Three other reported Cubs undrafted free agent signees are all right-handed pitchers - Walker Powell from Southern Mississippi, Tyler Santana from Jacksonville and Richard

Brereton from Duke.

Twitter: @McGrawDHSports

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