Kane Kepley agrees to terms on his first professional contract with the Chicago Cubs

Kane Kepley has officially signed on the dotted line.

The now former UNC baseball standout has agreed to terms on his first professional baseball contract with the Chicago Cubs.

Kepley was selected on day one of the 2025 MLB Draft, having his name called in the second round at pick No. 56. He signed for $1,400,000, which is $280,000 lower than the slot value for his pick slot ($1,680,000).

Of course, it's important to note that the draft slot doesn't necessarily mean that the player will sign for that amount. In some cases, players (and their agents) will request more while others (like Kepley) are content with the signing bonus pricetag that was presented.

You also must remember that, with the way the MLB Draft works, it's likely that the Cubs and Kepley's representatives agreed to a signing bonus figure before making the actual pick. This is strategically done in order to ensure that the player doesn't return to the college ranks, as Kepley could've elected to return for another season with the UNC baseball program.

Kepley is bringing his speed and athleticism with him to the Chicago Cubs organization, as his story to get to this point is simply remarkable. From being a walk-on at Liberty to transferring to North Carolina and being an instant sparkplug at the top of the everyday lineup, Kepley worked extremely hard to put himself in this position, as even he probably would've never guessed that he would end up being a second round pick in the MLB Draft.

Now, the Cubs have officially signed their top two draft picks, as Ethan Conrad (No. 17 overall) and Kepley are under contract. We'll have to wait and see what type of signing bonus fellow Tar Heel Jake Knapp gets from the Cubs organization, as his deal could also be completed in the near future.