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Goddard's Watkins will sign with Cubs
The Wichita State signee slid to the 21st round of the draft, but Chicago's $600,000 offer is too much to pass up.
BY PAUL SUELLENTROP
Goddard infielder Logan Watkins will sign with the Chicago Cubs today, his father said Thursday.
Watkins, selected in the 21st round of this month's major-league draft, had planned to play baseball for Wichita State. He decided Wednesday that Chicago's offer of a $500,000 bonus and $100,000 for college was too good to pass up.
"It's real tough on him," Brian Watkins said. "He feels like he's let a lot of people down who have been good to him."
Watkins said his son turned down offers of $300,000 and $430,000 and held firm to his demand of $500,000.
"Even if they had gone to $490,000, we would have said 'no,' " he said. "It takes a lot of money to turn down a program like Wichita State. We never thought they would get there."
After signing with the Cubs, Logan Watkins will report to Mesa, Ariz., the team's spring training site. After around two weeks, he will head to Boise (Idaho), a short-season Class-A team in the Northwest League. He could play shortstop, second base or move to center field.
Watkins (6-foot-1, 170 pounds) hit .476 in the leadoff spot with 39 hits for Goddard.
Brian Watkins said he left a message for WSU coach Gene Stephenson on Thursday morning. He had not talked to Stephenson or recruiting coordinator Brent Kemnitz as of Thursday afternoon, a process complicated by the death of Kemnitz's father on Tuesday.
Giving the news to the coaches will be difficult. Kemnitz and assistant Jim Thomas put in a lot of time following Logan Watkins' progress.
"Those are the guys that watched him play for five years," Brian Watkins said. "They've been good to him."
Logan Watkins was expected to step in at second base for WSU to replace Josh Workman. The Shockers return Kyle Sisney, who hit .135 in 21 games, and walk-on Taylor Brown, who hit .227 in 28, with experience at second base.
Six WSU signees were selected in the draft earlier this month. Watkins is the only one to sign. Athletes have until Aug. 15 to sign with a professional team.
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