Cubs head into MLB Draft with new VP of scouting under a blazing spotlight

There really isn’t much on new Cubs vice president of scouting Dan Kantrovitz’s plate.

All he has to do is help boss Theo Epstein reverse a long, embarrassing trend with the Cubs of being unable to develop homegrown pitching.

Oh, and as long as Kantrovitz, 41, is mining for gold, he might as well find the next generation of great Cubs hitters. That’s a huge part of what Epstein’s offseason restructuring of the organization’s scouting and player-development departments was all about.

And, let’s not forget, Kantrovitz had to prepare for his first Cubs draft — which starts Wednesday at 6 p.m., with the Cubs holding the No. 16 pick — during a pandemic.

Did we mention this year’s draft will be, amid so many other compromised things in the sport, only five rounds long?

No, there isn’t much on Kantrovitz’s plate or riding on his performance at all.

Just make sure the Cubs nail the 16th pick. And the 51st and 88th, and so on, on Thursday. So what if the coronavirus made it impossible to see many prospects actually play the game?

“The draft is always a situation where you’re making decisions based on imperfect information,” Kantrovitz said, “and I think that’s particularly true this year.”

Like all teams, the Cubs did a lot less in-person scouting and a lot more remote conferencing online with prospects. Kantrovitz consulted with a few NFL teams about their experiences interviewing players heading into that league’s draft in April and came away determined to keep conversations lively and incisive. On Zoom, for example, Kantrovitz and his team had prospects walk them through videos of specific at-bats and pitching sequences.

It was a different method than watching the real deal, but it was, in its own way, illuminating.

“We’ve been able to get to know these players on a level that we otherwise wouldn’t have,” Kantrovitz said. “In some ways, I think I’m more prepared for this draft than I have been in past drafts.”

Kantrovitz has an impressive track record, having been the Cardinals’ scouting director when they drafted pitchers Michael Wacha, Luke Weaver and rising ace Jack Flaherty, among others. A desire to get back to scouting led him to the Cubs from Oakland, where he was an assistant general manager with the Athletics.

The Tigers are expected to take Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson with the No. 1 overall pick. Beyond that, the first round is a mystery that’ll just have to play out.

The Cubs have a bonus pool of roughly $6.7 million to spend, a little over half of it earmarked for their top pick. Possibilities at No. 16 that have made the rounds in mock drafts include high school outfielders Austin Hendrick and Robert Hassell, high school catcher Tyler Soderstrom, UCLA outfielder Garrett Mitchell and Oklahoma right-hander Cade Cavalli.

Local prospect Ed Howard, a shortstop from Mount Carmel, also merits consideration, though Kantrovitz and the Cubs certainly have more video and data to analyze on college players. Collectively, high school players will be a tougher sell than usual after spring sports were wiped out.

The Cubs’ organization boasts four of the game’s top 100 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, but infielder Nico Hoerner ranks highest at 51.

Kantrovitz was brought here to make the whole picture begin to look more promising. He’s on the clock. No big deal, right?

CUBS DRAFT INFO

When: Wednesday, 6 p.m., ESPN, MLB Network.

Picks: 16, 51, 88, 117, 147.

Last 10 first-round picks: 2019 RHP Ryan Jensen (27 overall); 2018 SS/2B Nico Hoerner; 2017 LHP Brendon Little (27) and RHP Alex Lange (30); 2015 2B/OF Ian Happ; 2014 C/LF Kyle Schwarber; 2013 3B Kris Bryant; 2012 CF Albert Almora; 2011 SS Javy Baez.