Cubs 2025 Draft Primer
This guide is a comprehensive look at the 2025 MLB Draft. You’ll find a list of key dates for the draft cycle, including the release of bonus pools and pick values, the MLB Draft combine, and a breakdown of the draft itself. Additionally, you’ll find an overview of the draft combine and MLB draft weekend, in addition to links to other important draft resources like the consensus board. 

Cubs 2024 Draft Review
Lacking financial or pick flexibility in the 2024 draft, the Cubs took the best player available at 14th in Cam Smith (since traded to the Astros is the Kyle Tucker deal). The Cubs followed that up with college data darling Cole Mathis at 54, prep shortstop Ronny Cruz at 90th overall, prep outfielder Ty Southisene in the fourth round (120th), and UC San Diego catcher Ariel Armas in the fifth round (153rd).

2025 MLB Draft Timeline

April 2025 – MLB announced draft bonus pools and pick values

June 17th – 21st 2025 – MLB Draft Combine (Chase Field, Arizona)

July 13th – 14th – 2025 MLB Draft (Atlanta, Georgia)

July 13th – Round 1 through Round 3 (time TBA)

July 14th – Round 4 through Round 20 (time TBA)

MLB Draft Combine
The draft combine is a newer event that started in the 2021 draft cycle. Held over a five day period around a month before the draft itself, it serves as an opportunity for prospects to showcase their talents and boost their draft stock, while giving organizations better access to potential picks.

In addition to medical examinations and educational programming, players have an opportunity to meet with teams in advance of the draft. Additionally, there are a number of televised workouts, featuring infield and outfield drills, batting practice for hitters, and bullpens for pitchers, all of which is tracked and underpinned by Statcast data.

There is an incentive for players to attend and complete medicals, as prospects are guaranteed 75 percent of their draft slot bonus if they participate and complete medicals.

Day One Explained
There has been a major change to the draft ahead of the 2025 cycle. It’s being shortened from a three day event to a two day event. Previously, day one included round 1 through the supplemental second round, day two was rounds three through ten, and day three was rounds ten through twenty. Beginning with the 2025 cycle, day one will be round 1 through 3 (~100 picks). The draft will conclude on day two with rounds four through twenty.

The first day of the draft can be chaotic as there are additional rounds and picks in play beyond rounds one and two. The top of the draft (top 6 picks) is now determined by the draft lottery. Every non-playoff team is entered into the lottery, giving them the opportunity to move up in the draft order. Non lottery eligible teams pick in the order they are eliminated from the postseason, with regular season record breaking ties.

After the first round, prospect promotion incentive picks take place. If an eligible player wins rookie of the year, they earn their organization an extra pick immediately after the completion of the first round. 

Next come compensation picks, where teams who extend the qualifying offer to a player (who rejects it) earn an additional draft pick. Compensation pick positions depend on the contract size signed by the player rejecting the qualifying offer, in addition to the payroll of the organization receiving them (there are additional compensation picks after competitive balance round B and the fourth round).

After any compensation picks, comes competitive balance round A. Teams who have one of the ten smallest markets or ten smallest revenue pools receive an additional pick in round A or round B, on an annually rotating basis.

The first day of the draft is capped by the second round, competitive balance round B, and the third round, which typically takes us through around 100 picks.

Bonus Pool Allocations and Pick Values
Prior to the draft, typically in April, MLB announces each team’s bonus pool for the forthcoming draft cycle and pick values for every pick in the top ten rounds of the draft. Each pick in the first ten rounds of the draft is assigned a value, with the total of the slots for the picks each organization has in the top ten rounds comprising their total ‘bonus pool’. Organizations can sign a player to a deal greater than a slot or less than a slot, depending on their negotiations with the player, so it’s useful to think of the slots as ‘guidelines’ and little more.

Organizations are allowed to spend up to 5% more than their total pool without incurring a penalty, a choice many teams take advantage of. The Twins and the Rockies are the only teams who have never spent any overage on their bonus pool. Any amount up to 5% over the pool is met with a 75% tax on the overage. If a team spends between 5-10% more than their pool, the penalty is 75% tax on the overage and loss of a future first rounder. Any team who exceeds their bonus pool by more than 10% up to 15% pays 100% tax on the overage and will lose a first and second round future pick. Any team who exceeds their bonus pool by more than 15% loses two future first round picks in addition to paying 100% tax on the overage.

Rounds 11-20 work differently to the first half of the draft. These picks do not come with an assigned slot value. Teams can spend up to $150,000 per pick without that spending coming out of their bonus pool. If they spend over that amount, any overage will be deducted from their bonus pool. For example, an 11th round pick signing for $250,000 will result in $100,000 being subtracted from that teams’ bonus pool. This is where some financial strategy comes into play. Often teams will look to accrue some ‘savings’ from their bonus pool so they can spend over the maximum of $150,000 for a prospect in the second half of the draft.

NOTE: Slot values increased by 4.8% from 2024 to 2025.

Here are the Cubs picks and their associated slot values for the 2025 MLB Draft.

Round

Pick

Slot Value

Round 1

17

$4,750,800

Round 3

90

$865,500

Round 4

121

$623,300

Round 5

151

$465,400

Round 6

181

$355,300

Round 7

211

$278,500

Round 8

241

$225,400

Round 9

271

$201,800

Round 10

301

$190,300

Total Bonus Pool Allocation $12,653,300 (22nd in MLB)

Draft Resources
2025 MLB Draft Consensus Board

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