Cubs, Bryant working to beat Friday deadline

CHICAGO -- The Cubs and representatives for first-round pick Kris Bryant are continuing to talk in hopes of finalizing a deal before Friday's deadline.

Bryant is one of four first-round picks who remain unsigned, joining Colin Moran (Marlins), Phil Bickford (Blue Jays) and Aaron Judge (Yankees).

"There's no update," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said Monday. "We basically have four or five days left of discussions. We're confident we'll get it done. We'll make it an exceptionally fair offer. If Kris wants to be a Cub and be a professional baseball player, I'm confident we'll get a deal done. Sometimes it takes a deadline to make a deal, and we have a deadline coming up shortly. In a lot of ways, I think it's a plus at this point."

Bryant was the second player taken in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft. The third baseman starred at San Diego, hitting 31 home runs, and was named College Player of the Year by Baseball America.