Cubs’ scouting gurus convene with Draft on deck

CHICAGO — The Cubs’ first pick in next week’s MLB Draft won’t be until No. 104 overall, coming in the third round and the second day, but that hasn’t slowed the club’s preparation. The Cubs’ amateur scouts were scheduled to arrive in Chicago on Thursday for a week’s worth of meetings.

“The lowest [pick] ever was 65th, with [Dustin] Pedroia in ’04,” said Jason McLeod, the Cubs’ director of scouting and player development, formerly a member of the Red Sox’s front office. “[Picking 104th] doesn’t change anything in terms of our preparation and how hard the guys have worked. For me, personally, I’ve actually seen more players this spring than I saw the last four years being here.”

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In the past, McLeod would plan his pre-Draft trips to see a few players who might be first-round options. Of course, one never knows what a team can find in the later rounds. McLeod cited the Mets’ Jacob deGrom, a ninth-round pick, as an example.

“I think there will be a focus on pitching, but we won’t try to create it,” McLeod said. “Day 1 will be interesting. Usually, I’m all suited up and I get to come out and talk about how excited we are about our first pick. This year, we might be sitting there in shorts and flip flops pulling names off the board.

“It’ll give us the opportunity to prepare that evening for the next day,” McLeod said. “Our mindset is to take it as a big challenge.”

The 2016 Draft will take place from June 9-11, beginning with the Draft …

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