Top Ten best Chicago baseball draftees who didn’t sign

While looking through draft classes I could not help but realize that there are quite a few eye-popping names that the White Sox or Cubs have drafted in the last 25 years that I never saw in a Sox of Cubs uni. But after doing some research I found out that these guys were drafted and did not sign, a common occurrence in baseball. This is a list of 10 notable players who wouldn’t have made either team instant World Series champs, but could have pivotal role in team improvement.

10. Antwaan Randle El- Cubs 1997 14th Round

It really wasn't any doubt this now-Redskin wide receiver was going to be playing football over baseball. My boss explained to me how poor his Thornton team was in high school and said he was pretty much the only outfielder when he took the field because he covered so much ground.

9. Adam Everett- Cubs 1995 4th Round

Though Everett has fallen off the table, he did have a few good years early in his career. During the 2005 World Series however, my favorite quote from the Buck/McCarver duo was McCarver explaining to viewers how Everett is a good ballplayer but he simply "has forgotten how to swing properly."

8. Placido Polanco- Sox 1993 49th Round

This All-Star second baseman has put together a pretty nice career, and has continually gotten better. Last year, in a career season, he hit .341 with 200 hits and 105 runs, good enough for a Silver Slugger award.

7. Nate Robertson- Sox 1995 35th Round/ 1998 15th Round

This is another guy of promise who has not had a sensational career. But the reason he is mainly on the list is because the Sox tried to get this guy twice. Maybe it's for the best though as this injury plagued starter has never won more than 13 games.

6. Ray Lankford- Cubs 1986 3rd Round

Lankford was a solid 5-tool player that did it all. He stole 25 bases four times in his career. He owns a .394 on-base-percentage that peaked in '97 when it was .411. But the 1998 season explained his career best; .293 average 31 homers, 105 RBI, 94 runs, 26 stolen bases. A weak .983 fielding percentage for an OF may put a damper on these numbers though.

5. Tim Lincecum- Cubs 2003 48th Round

He has not proven a whole lot, yet his upside is tremendous. He won seven games last year and had almost the entire league making offers to the Giants. What is odd about Lincecum is that he was drafted in the 48th round of '03, then in the 42nd round in '05, but in '06 was the tenth overall pick of the draft.

4. Jeff Weaver- Sox 1997 2nd Round

This comes as no surprise to me as his little brother was financially annoying to teams which caused him to go late in the first round despite being arguably the top pitcher in the draft. Weaver has had five double-diget-win seasons, but has only had one winning season in his career. This is mainly because his career started in Detroit in the early 2000's, and we all know what happened then.

3. Khalil Greene- Cubs 2001 14th Round

Ok, So him being here might be a little biased, but Greene has made some spectacular plays at short, which put him this high. Last season he hit 27 homers, 97 RBI's and 44 doubles. He has also been staple to the community since he arrived in San Diego.

2. JJ Putz- Sox 1995 3rd Round

Lights out is the only way to describe this guy. The 2007 All-Star closed out 40 games last year, and 36 the year before that. Last year he had a WHIP of under 0.70 and an ERA of 1.38. What is funny about Putz is that he signed a deal with the Mariners in 1999 as a 6th-round pick.

1. Eric Gagne- Sox 1994 30th Round

So steroids have tarnished his numbers that have been nothing but stellar before shoulder surgery a few years ago. But in 2003 he was named the NL Cy Young winner and has been a three-time All-Star. He also is in the record books for most consecutive converted saves. That could have been a nice addition had he stayed.

Alright as you can see, this list does not live up to all the hype I am sure you were hoping for. And while this was not an easy article to write because of that, it does mean is that both the Sox and the Cubs have done a pretty good job signing their draft picks, something that is not easy to do.