Cubs sign first-round draft pick to ‘steal’ contract.

Days after the 2022 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs signed first-round pick Cade Horton.

The top of the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft was a wild one, to say the least. That Chicago Cubs had one of the more shocking selections (not as much as the Texas Rangers, who picked Kumar Rocker third overall) by picking up No. 7-ranked Oklahoma pitcher Cade Horton. Horton was sorted by MLB pipeline as the 24th best prospect in the entire draft.

Horton and the Cubs were able to agree on a contract, and the right-handed pitcher officially signed on the dotted line. Corresponding MLB pipelines Jim Callis, Horton signed for $4.45 million, down from #7’s $5.71 million.

The Cubs sign first-round pick Cade Horton

In case you need more proof that Horton signed, he posted photos on his Twitter account.

As Callis points out, Horton’s selection allowed the Cubs to select IMG Academy left-hander Jackson Ferris in the second round with the 47th overall pick. Ferris was classified by MLB pipeline 19th among prospects. It’s important to note, however, that Ferris is unsigned at the time of this writing.

Horton pitched and played in the infield during his time with the Sooners baseball program. He missed his freshman season due to Tommy John surgery. In 14 games (11 starts) on the mound, Horton recorded a 4.86 ERA, a 1.304 WHIP, 64 strikeouts and 15 walks over 53.2 innings of work.

But Horton made his mark in this year’s College World Series. In the championship game against Ole Miss, the right-hander hit a record 13 batters. In five College World Series starts, Horton posted a 2.61 ERA, a 3-0 record, and hit 49 batters in 31 innings.

The Cubs were sold on Horton, so they picked him with the seventh overall pick. Now he has officially signed his contract with the team.