Michael Wacha, The St. Louis Cardinals' 2012 First-Rounder, Is Striking Out Everybody

Michael Wacha: Know Your (Springfield) Cardinals Call-Up

2012 MLB Draft Signings: Cardinals Close To Deal With RHP Kurt Heyer, According To Report

The St. Louis Cardinals are close to signing the last remaining prospect in their 2012 MLB Draft class, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting the team has a deal in place with sixth-round pick and right-handed pitcher Kurt Heyer. The deadline for signing prospects is July 13, and Goold noted that St. Louis will not confirm the contract until Thursday after Heyer passes his physical. The terms of the deal are not known, but if the team stays close to the league-recommended slot value they will stay within their allotted draft pool cap. A harsh tax kicks in for any dollar amount the team goes over the draft pool cap, and if they exceed the cap by five percent they lose a draft pick next season, so it is expected that the deal with Heyer will keep the team under the spending cap.

Some news with your coffee: #Cardinals reach deal with 6th-rnd Heyer bit.ly/MfDsYk That completes draft signings for club #stlcards

— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) July 10, 2012

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation.

MLB Draft 2012: St. Louis Cardinals Picks Carson Kelly And Steve Bean Make Pro Debuts

The St. Louis Cardinals are beginning to sign their 2012 MLB Draft picks, and the fastest movers are already playing minor league baseball. Short-season leagues opened Tuesday night, and two highly touted high schoolers, third baseman Carson Kelly (who signed for a million dollars over his recommended slot) and first-round catcher Steve Bean, both made their pro debuts in the lineup for the Appalachian League's Johnson City Cardinals.

Kelly—who some teams saw as a future pitcher—started at third and went 0-3 with a walk, while Bean went 1-3 with a walk and an RBI starting at catcher. 2011 draft picks C.J. McElroy (1-4) and Missouri native Lance Jeffries (1-1, 3 BB) also made their 2012 debuts.

Another first-rounder, Patrick Wisdom, has already made his debut for the short-season Batavia Muckdogs, where he's 0-6 with two walks. The rest of the Cardinals' first-round haul—starter Michael Wacha, right fielder James Ramsey, and newly signed third baseman Stephen Piscotty—are all seen as advanced college talents, and could make their debuts in full-season ball as high as the Florida State League's Palm Beach Cardinals.

For more updates on the St. Louis Cardinals' 2012 MLB Draft picks, stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis. Oh, and Future Redbirds.

Stephen Piscotty Contract: Cardinals Sign No. 36 Pick In 2012 MLB Draft To $1.4 Million Bonus

The St. Louis Cardinals signed supplementary first-round pick Stephen Piscotty to a contract on Saturday morning, according to the team's official twitter account. St. Louis selected Piscotty with the No. 36 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft and he will reportedly receive a $1.4 million bonus, which is exactly in-line with MLB's recommended slot value.

Cardinals draft pick Stephen Piscotty signs his 1st contract. Welcome to #CardinalsNation! twitter.com/Cardinals/stat…

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 16, 2012

Piscotty hit .329/.415/.467 for Stanford in 2012 and he will start his career with the team's minor-league affiliate at the Quad Cities as the starting third baseman, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Piscotty will go to Quad Cities, where he will be the starter at 3B. #stlminors #STLcards #Cardinals

— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) June 16, 2012

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation.

2012 MLB Draft: Cardinals Close To Deal With Stephen Piscotty, According To Report

The St. Louis Cardinals and outfielder Stephen Piscotty are close to an agreement, according to B.J. Rains. The deal is reportedly for about $1.43 million.

Hearing Stephen Piscotty, OF from Stanford who the Cardinals took in the supplemental first round, will be here tomorrow for a physical.

— B.J. Rains (@BJRains) June 15, 2012

Related: St. Louis Cardinals Go Over MLB Draft Slot Again For Stupendously Named Max Foody

Also hearing that a deal for Piscotty, which is contingent on the physical, will be right around the suggested $1.43 million for his spot.

— B.J. Rains (@BJRains) June 15, 2012

Piscotty hit .329/.415/.467 for Stanford in 2012.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation.

St. Louis Cardinals Go Over MLB Draft Slot Again For Stupendously Named Max Foody

Carson Kelly Contract: St. Louis Cardinals, Draft Pick Agree To $1.6 Million Deal

The St. Louis Cardinals have come to terms on a deal with second rounder Carson Kelly, according to Baseball America's Jim Callis. After a series of economical first-rounders it's not too surprising that the deal is for well in excess of slot value. Very much so.

#Cardinals agree w/2nd-rder Carson Kelly on $1.6 mil. Highest over value ($574,300) so far in #mlbdraft. Oregon HS 3B/RHP is 2-way talent.

— Jim Callis (@jimcallisBA) June 14, 2012

Related: Cardinals Sign RHP Michael Wacha, No. 19 Pick In 2012 MLB Draft

Kelly, the No. 86 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, will forgo a scholarship to the University of Oregon. He is scheduled to take a physical in St. Louis on Friday morning.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation.

St. Louis Cardinals Go A Million Over Slot To Sign Carson Kelly

The St. Louis Cardinals' 2012 MLB Draft strategy—drafting signable players like James Ramsey and Stephen Piscotty in their flush first round and going after tougher signs with the under-slot proceeds—paid off in a big way Thursday, when they signed second-rounder 3B/RHP Carson Kelly for $1 million over slot—$1.6 million in total. Kelly, who was also being pursued by the Oregon Ducks, immediately steps in as the highest-upside member of a draft that was intentionally heavy on college picks.

#Cardinals agree w/2nd-rder Carson Kelly on $1.6 mil. Highest over value ($574,300) so far in #mlbdraft. Oregon HS 3B/RHP is 2-way talent.

— Jim Callis (@jimcallisBA) June 14, 2012

The Cardinals also signed high-upside pick Max Foody; Trey Williams is the last of their tough signability guys to remain on the board, though the Cardinals will have to get deep under their slot on James Ramsey to make a pitch to him. We'll be keeping up with it on our St. Louis Cardinals draft results storystream, so stay tuned. (For more on James Ramsey, check out our 2012 College World Series storystream; he's presently leading the Florida State Seminoles into college title contention.)

Kevin Goldstein Explains Michael Wacha's Signing Bonus

In a short post for Baseball Prospectus, resident prospect guru Kevin Goldstein explains to readers why they shouldn't be surprised by the $1.9 million signing bonus that St. Louis Cardinals first round pick Michael Wacha recently received from the team.

Given that Wacha was selected 19th by St. Louis despite being considered a top-15 prospect in the draft class, some expected the pitcher to demand a bonus greater than the league's recommended amount, but Goldstein explains why the signing makes sense:

The pool amounts for each pick were designed to provide flexibility to teams—at least on a minor level—so these are not slots, as they actually are quite above previous slots... With a $1.9 million bonus, Wacha did not sign for slot as much as he received the full bonus pool amount for that pick, which is actually looking like a bit of a rarity... In this new system, these aren't slots as much as they are portions of a bigger pie that teams are forced to work with. Wacha got his full piece of the pie, with the second highest bonus at No. 19 in draft history, trailing only new system-mate Shelby Miller.

Under the new CBA rules that are meant to curtail draft spending, teams are allotted a pool of money that they can use to sign all of their draft picks. By going over the slot amount recommended for each pick by MLB, a team is effectively deciding to spend less money on its other picks given the spending cap and over-spending taxes that go into effect.

By signing Wacha for slot money, the Cardinals don't use a disproportionate amount of their draft spending pool on a single pick, but given that MLB put significant increases into their recommended amounts this year, he still receives one of the largest bonuses ever for where he was selected.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ballwith John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

Cardinals Sign RHP Michael Wacha, No. 19 Pick In 2012 MLB Draft

The St. Louis Cardinals have signed right-handed pitcher Michael Wacha, the team's No. 19 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The deal reportedly includes a $1.9 million signing bonus, which is exactly on par with MLB's recommended slot value.

first rounder Michael Wacha, star rhp from texas a&m, agreed for $1.9M with the #cardinals, pending physical.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) June 12, 2012

ESPN's Keith Law projects Wacha as a mid-rotation pitcher thanks to an average fastball, plus-plus changeup, below-average breaking ball and MLB-ready command.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ballwith John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft: Cardinals Come To Terms With 27 Draft Picks

With the 2012 MLB draft recently coming to an end, the St. Louis Cardinals made quick work locking up some of their top draft picks. The Cardinals announced that they came to terms with 27 of their 44 picks, including two of their four first round selections. The big news in the announcement was the signings of Patrick Wisdom and Steve Bean:

Among those signed include first round picks third baseman Patrick Wisdom (52^nd overall) and catcher Steve Bean (59^th round) as well as seven total players drafted in the first 10 rounds and 15 drafted in the top 20 rounds.

Bean, a highly-touted catcher out of Rockwall (Texas) High School, decided to sign with the Cardinals after signing a letter of intent to play college baseball at the University of Texas in the fall.

The Cardinals have yet to come to terms with Michael Wacha, who was selected 19th overall, and James Ramsey, who was selected 23rd. Ramsey is still competing for a National Championship at Florida St., so he isn't eligible to sign at this point.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft: Cardinals Sign Patrick Wisdom, Save $277,000 For No. 52 Pick Bonus

The St. Louis Cardinals signed third baseman Patrick Wisdom, the team's No. 52 overall pick in the supplemental first-round of the 2012 MLB Draft, to a $693,000 signing bonus, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. As noted by MLB Trade Rumors, Major League Baseball recommends a bonus of $970,000 for the No. 52 draft pick slot, so the Cardinals saved $277,000 of their draft pool money by signing Wisdom to a below-slot bonus.

Wisdom hit .303/.395/.525 in his three seasons in the West Coast Conference. St. Louis received the No. 52 pick as compensation for the loss of Octavio Dotel.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

MLB Draft 2012: Carson Kelly Chased By Oregon Ducks And St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals built their 2012 MLB Draft strategy around him, and the Oregon Ducks built their recruiting class around him, but only one set of birds will get to call top high school prospect Carson Kelly their own. The Ducks are a strong college team—and in-state, though he would probably have his tuition covered either way—but the Cardinals have an advantage in chasing their second-round pick, who could be either a third baseman or a pitcher: Lots of money.

By drafting college guys without a lot of leverage—Michael Wacha, James Ramsey, and Patrick Wisdom—in their huge first round, the Cardinals gave themselves room to draft a guy like Kelly, who could reasonably expect to become a first round pick if he excels in college. Their argument: Why even risk it? Just take the six-figure bonus and call it a day.

As for the Ducks—there's an interesting look at this from their side on OregonLive. But I don't like their odds.

2012 MLB Draft: Keith Law Rates Cardinals Picks With Mixed Reviews

The latest analyses from ESPN's Keith Law suggest the St. Louis Cardinals certainly made the right choice with their first pick in the first round:

St. Louis Cardinals

Summary: Michael Wacha (1) projects as a midrotation guy, average fastball that touches better, a plus-plus change and a fringy to below-average breaking ball. He does have present command and probably could pitch in the big leagues immediately as a fifth starter.

The news was not all positive, however, as Law suggests the Cards second pick as a major whiff:

James Ramsey (1) is a college senior who performed by beating up on younger competition (he's 22) and wasn't good enough to be considered a prospect a year ago; this was among my least favorite picks of Day 1 when viewed on its own.

Overall, though, the Cardinals earned generally positive marks from the ESPN prospect guru.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft: Cardinals Sign No. 52 Pick, Patrick Wisdom

The latest news from the 2012 MLB Draft is that the St. Louis Cardinals have come to terms with one of their four first-round selections, inking 3B Patrick Wisdom to a minor league deal.

The Cardinals selected Wisdom out of St. Mary's University with the No. 52 selection in the first round. Wisdom hit a monstrous .303/.395/.525 slash in his three seasons in the West Coast Conference.

St. Louis also appears to be on the brink of signing C Steve Bean, who the team took with the No. 59 selection.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

Cardinals Draft Picks 2012: St. Louis Takes Collegiate Player In 36 Of 44 Picks

The 2012 MLB Draft is over, and the St. Louis Cardinals have 44 new players to show for their effort. In an interesting twist, 36 of those 44 prospects came from the college ranks and only high school players made the cut. St. Louis selected 21 pitchers, 12 infielders, six outfielders and five catchers, according to the press release from the team website.

More MLB Draft 2012 coverage from SB Nation St. Louis:

• Here's more about Carson Kelly, who could also join the organization as a pitcher.
• Michael Wacha, the Cardinals' first first-rounder, is a prototypical Cardinals starter.
• James Ramsey, meanwhile, was compared to a prototypical Cardinals outfielder. And Tim Tebow.

Here's the full list of St. Louis draftees:

1. RHP Michael Wacha (No. 19 overall)
2. OF James Ramsey (No. 23)
3. 1B-3B Stephen Piscotty (No. 36)
4. 3B Patrick Wisdom (No. 52)
5. C Steve Bean (No. 59)
6. 3B Carson Kelly (No. 86)
7. LHP Tim Cooney (No. 117)
8. SS Alejandro Meija (No. 150)
9. RHP Cory Jones (No. 180)
10. RHP Kurt Heyer (No. 210)
11. RHP Kyle Barraclough (No. 240)
12. OF Yoenny Gonzalez (No. 270)
13. C Rowan Wick (No. 300)
14. 2B Jacob Wilson (No. 330)
15. SS Trey Williams (No. 360)
16. LHP Max Foody (No. 390)
17. SS Brett Wiley (No. 420)
18. SS Anthony Melchionda (No. 450)
19. SS Bruce Caldwell (No. 480)
20. RHP Joseph Scanio (No. 510)
21. RHP Christopher Perry (No. 540)
22. 1B Jeremy Schaffer (No. 570)
23. RHP Steven Gallardo (No. 600)
24. OF Matthew Young (No. 630)
25. 1B Joseph Almaraz (No. 660)
26. C Casey Schroeder (No. 690)
27. OF Tate Matheny (No. 720)
28. LHP Lee Stoppelman (No. 750)
29. RHP Mariano Llorens (No. 780)
30. LHP Steven Sabatino (No. 810)
31. RHP Joseph Cuda (No. 840)
32. OF Dodson McPherson (No. 870)
33. RHP Andy Hillis (No. 900)
34. LHP Kyle Helisek (No. 930)
35. RHP Joseph Donofrio (No. 960)
36. SS Eduardo Oquendo (No. 990)
37. RHP Ronald Shaban (No. 1020)
38. LHP Mark Trentacosta (No. 1050)
39. LHP Benjamin O'Shea (No. 1080)
40. C Alexander Swim (No. 1110)
41. OF Derrick May (No. 1140)
42. LHP Javier Machuca (No. 1170)
43. RHP Michael Aldrete (No. 1200)
44. C Ian Rice (No. 1230)

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft Results: St. Louis Cardinals Sign Patrick Wisdom; Close On Others

The St. Louis Cardinals signed one of their five first-round picks Wednesday, agreeing to terms on a bonus with No. 52 overall Patrick Wisdom. Rick Hummel reported on the Wisdom signing, although no terms were released. Wisdom, a college third baseman with power potential who's struggled to make contact in three seasons with St. Mary's, will reportedly begin his career in short-season Batavia when the New York Penn League opens later this month.

Wisdom was considered by some draft analysts to be one of the picks the Cardinals appeared to make for signability reasons—he and No. 23 pick James Ramsey, in particular, were seen as players who the Cardinals could sign early and affordably so as to go after more difficult signs later in the draft.

He finds himself in a rather crowded environment at third base—Carson Kelly, one of those would-be tough signs, is a third baseman behind him, and ahead of him David Freese, Matt Carpenter, and former first-rounder Zack Cox are all entrenched at the position in a minor log-jam. (Allen Craig and Daniel Descalso can also play third base, if you're counting.)

More MLB Draft 2012 coverage from SB Nation St. Louis:

• Here's more about Carson Kelly, who could also join the organization as a pitcher.
• Michael Wacha, the Cardinals' first first-rounder, is a prototypical Cardinals starter.
• James Ramsey, meanwhile, was compared to a prototypical Cardinals outfielder. And Tim Tebow.

MLB Draft 2012: The St. Louis Cardinals' Cape Cod League Fatal Attraction

The St. Louis Cardinals have shown a strong preference for taking Cape Cod League alumni in the MLB Draft. But is it a healthy infatuation?

St. Louis Cardinals' Draft Results Hinge On Carson Kelly

MLB Draft 2012: Houston Astros, Carlos Correa Near Deal Already

The 2012 MLB Draft is barely over, and the Houston Astros already appear to be nearing a deal with Carlos Correa, the powerful shortstop they chose with the No. 1 overall pick. Credit former St. Louis Cardinals farm czar Jeff Luhnow, I guess, for knowing exactly what he wants and going after it. Reporting the deal: The Astros' owner, Jim Crane, a reliable source if ever there was one. If he signs this early Correa, 17, will have a chance to join the club's rookie-level affiliates as soon as they open up later in June.

In years prior this kind of deal might lead to Carlos Correa being labeled a "signability pick," but the limited draft pools out of which all teams will be issuing their signing bonuses have led to signability being a very real asset in a player. The Cardinals were among the first teams in the draft to play this game, back when they drafted college senior James Ramsey No. 23 overall.

For more on Jeff Luhnow's draft strategy, then and now, I'd like to point you to our own Nathan Grimm's interview with him.

MLB Draft Results, Day 3: St. Louis Cardinals' Draft Ends With A Whimper

With five picks among the first 60, this is a pretty important draft for the St. Louis Cardinals as they hope to sustain the flow of high-quality talent through their organization. On Wednesday, the draft completed its final 25 rounds, allowing St. Louis to put the final touches on a key draft class.

Overall, the Cardinals made 44 picks this year, although it's worth noting that the team may not be able to sign every single one. St. Louis did make that process a bit easier by using its first four picks on college players, though.

Here's the full list of St. Louis draftees:

1. RHP Michael Wacha (No. 19 overall)
2. OF James Ramsey (No. 23)
3. 1B-3B Stephen Piscotty (No. 36)
4. 3B Patrick Wisdom (No. 52)
5. C Steve Bean (No. 59)
6. 3B Carson Kelly (No. 86)
7. LHP Tim Cooney (No. 117)
8. SS Alejandro Meija (No. 150)
9. RHP Cory Jones (No. 180)
10. RHP Kurt Heyer (No. 210)
11. RHP Kyle Barraclough (No. 240)
12. OF Yoenny Gonzalez (No. 270)
13. C Rowan Wick (No. 300)
14. 2B Jacob Wilson (No. 330)
15. SS Trey Williams (No. 360)
16. LHP Max Foody (No. 390)
17. SS Brett Wiley (No. 420)
18. SS Anthony Melchionda (No. 450)
19. SS Bruce Caldwell (No. 480)
20. RHP Joseph Scanio (No. 510)
21. RHP Christopher Perry (No. 540)
22. 1B Jeremy Schaffer (No. 570)
23. RHP Steven Gallardo (No. 600)
24. OF Matthew Young (No. 630)
25. 1B Joseph Almaraz (No. 660)
26. C Casey Schroeder (No. 690)
27. OF Tate Matheny (No. 720)
28. LHP Lee Stoppelman (No. 750)
29. RHP Mariano Llorens (No. 780)
30. LHP Steven Sabatino (No. 810)
31. RHP Joseph Cuda (No. 840)
32. OF Dodson McPherson (No. 870)
33. RHP Andy Hillis (No. 900)
34. LHP Kyle Helisek (No. 930)
35. RHP Joseph Donofrio (No. 960)
36. SS Eduardo Oquendo (No. 990)
37. RHP Ronald Shaban (No. 1020)
38. LHP Mark Trentacosta (No. 1050)
39. LHP Benjamin O'Shea (No. 1080)
40. C Alexander Swim (No. 1110)
41. OF Derrick May (No. 1140)
42. LHP Javier Machuca (No. 1170)
43. RHP Michael Aldrete (No. 1200)
44. C Ian Rice (No. 1230)

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft: Cardinals Select Mike Matheny's Son In 23rd Round

In a common practice with later draft picks, the St. Louis Cardinals have selected Tate Matheny, the son of St. Louis manager Mike Matheny, with their 23rd round pick in this year's draft. Given that most of the picks in later rounds simply qualify as organizational depth, you'll often see teams taking relatives of important members of the franchise.

In the 23rd round of the #mlbdraft, the Cardinals select CF Tate Matheny (Westminster Christian Academy, MO), son of Manager Mike Matheny.

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 6, 2012

At this point, it seems highly likely that Matheny will pass on the Cardinals' contract offer and go to play college ball at Missouri State, where he has a full scholarship. Unlike many relatives selected in these situations, Matheny is considered a prospect by some, but he fell so far because of stiff contract demands that likely won't be met.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ballwith John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft Order Day 3, Live Stream And More

Day three of the MLB Draft is composed of rounds 16-40, which will produce maybe one or two good nice stories a few years from now and a bunch of players no one will ever hear from. Those rounds, like every round after the tenth, will be conducted over conference call, although MLB.com will have a live audio stream and will keep its draft tracker updated. Drafting begins at 11 a.m. CT.

2012 MLB Draft: Carson Kelly The St. Louis Cardinals' Toughest Sign

The St. Louis Cardinals took a conservative approach in day one of the 2012 MLB Draft, and on day two—with the No. 86 pick, in the second round—they gave themselves a target with which to paint all that unspent bonus cash: Carson Kelly, a 17-year-old high schooler who looks like a top prospect whether you think he's actually a pitcher or a power-hitting third baseman. He'll be tough to keep out of college, but the Cardinals, having drafted a few college seniors ahead of him, should have plenty of money left in their bonus pool to spend. Here's some video, if you'd like to make the positional decision for yourself:

Scouting reports like him on both sides of the ball, but the Cardinals shouldn't count their position changes before they're hatched—they'll still have to sign him, and immediately after he was drafted he didn't seem to have his mind made up. In a draft filled with polish, the Cardinals could certainly use a player like Kelly's upside, no matter which glove they tell him to pack. But he's likely to cost more than some of their first rounders.

2012 MLB Draft Results: Cardinals Continue To Raid College Ranks

The St. Louis Cardinals surprised most draft watchers by selecting college players with their first four picks in the 2012 MLB Draft, but it was a strategy that they continued to follow in Day 2 of the 2012 MLB Draft, with one notable exception. That one exception would be the second round selection of Oregon-based high school infielder Carson Kelly, who slipped likely to due signability issues even though he was seen as a talent worthy of a late first round pick.

But after that, the Cardinals largely stuck to the college ranks, selecting players like Wake Forest pitcher Tim Cooney in the third round, Arizona shortstop Alejandro Mejia in the fourth round, College of the Canyons pitcher Cory Jones in the fifth round and Arizona righty pitcher Kurt Heyer in the sixth round.

For the full list of Cardinals draftees heading into Day 3, click here.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

MLB Draft Results 2012: St. Louis Cardinals Have Eclectic Mix Through Two Days

The first day of the St. Louis Cardinals' 2012 MLB Draft resulted in a surprising number of college seniors, perhaps none more surprising than No. 23 pick James Ramsey, a college hitter with indifferent tools and a bit of a positional problem whose numbers, adjusted for schedule and park, were better last year than anybody else's in Division I. Day 2 saw a more balanced approach, starting with vaunted high school prospect Carson Kelly, who could be an impact player on the infield or as a right-handed pitcher. Here's a look at the complete results through two days of drafting.

1. RHP Michael Wacha (No. 19 overall)
2. OF James Ramsey (No. 23)
3. 1B-3B Stephen Piscotty (No. 36)
4. 3B Patrick Wisdom (No. 52)
5. C Steve Bean (No. 59)
6. 3B Carson Kelly (No. 86)
7. LHP Tim Cooney (No. 117)
8. SS Alejandro Meija (No. 150)
9. RHP Cory Jones (No. 180)
10. RHP Kurt Heyer (No. 210)
11. RHP Kyle Barraclough (No. 240)
12. OF Yoenny Gonzalez (No. 270)
13. C Rowan Wick (No. 300)
14. 2B Jacob Wilson (No. 330)
15. SS Trey Williams (No. 360)
16. LHP Max Foody (No. 390)
17. SS Brett Wiley (No. 420)
18. SS Anthony Melchionda (No. 450)
19. SS Bruce Caldwell (No. 480)

2012 MLB Draft Results: St. Louis Cardinals Load Up On Day 2

Day two of the 2012 MLB Draft is in the books and the St. Louis Cardinals have made 19 picks through the first 15 rounds. Rounds 16-40 will be completed on Wednesday.

Related: St. Louis Cardinals MLB Draft StoryStream

Here's the full list of St. Louis draftees:

1. RHP Michael Wacha (No. 19 overall)
2. OF James Ramsey (No. 23)
3. 1B-3B Stephen Piscotty (No. 36)
4. 3B Patrick Wisdom (No. 52)
5. C Steve Bean (No. 59)
6. 3B Carson Kelly (No. 86)
7. LHP Tim Cooney (No. 117)
8. SS Alejandro Meija (No. 150)
9. RHP Cory Jones (No. 180)
10. RHP Kurt Heyer (No. 210)
11. RHP Kyle Barraclough (No. 240)
12. OF Yoenny Gonzalez (No. 270)
13. C Rowan Wick (No. 300)
14. 2B Jacob Wilson (No. 330)
15. SS Trey Williams (No. 360)
16. LHP Max Foody (No. 390)
17. SS Brett Wiley (No. 420)
18. SS Anthony Melchionda (No. 450)
19. SS Bruce Caldwell (No. 480)

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft Results: Cardinals Add OF Yoenny Gonzalez With The No. 270

The St. Louis Cardinals have tabbed OF Yoenny Gonzalez out the College of Central Florida for their 8th round pick, the No. 270 pick overall. Gonzalez is the second outfielder taken by the Cardinals in the 2012 MLB Draft, coming in behind OF James Ramsey.

Here is a look at the Cards' selections so far in the 2012 MLB Draft:

1. RHP Michael Wacha (No. 19 overall)
2. OF James Ramsey (No. 23)
3. 1B-3B Stephen Piscotty (No. 36)
4. 3B Patrick Wisdom (No. 52)
5. C Steve Bean (No. 59)
6. 3B Carson Kelly (No. 86)
7. LHP Tim Cooney (No. 117)
8. SS Alejandro Meija (No. 150)
9. RHP Cory Jones (No. 180)
10. RHP Kurt Heyer (No. 210)
11. RHP Kyle Barraclough (No. 240)
12. OF Yoenny Gonzalez (No. 270)

The Cards are next on the clock at pick No. 300. If you want to follow along, check it out live on MLB.com.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ballwith John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft Results: Cardinals Select RHP Kyle Barraclough At No. 250

The St. Louis Cardinals have selected RHP Kyle Barraclough from St. Mary's University in California. Barraclough played three season with St. Mary's, throwing 333 IP with a 4.36 ERA while striking out 7.85 batters and walking 4.27 batters per nine innings.

Here is a look at the Cards' selections so far in the 2012 MLB Rule 4 Draft:

1. RHP Michael Wacha (No. 19 overall)
2. OF James Ramsey (No. 23)
3. 1B-3B Stephen Piscotty (No. 36)
4. 3B Patrick Wisdom (No. 52)
5. C Steve Bean (No. 59)
6. 3B Carson Kelly (No. 86)
7. LHP Tim Cooney (No. 117)
8. SS Alejandro Meija (No. 150)
9. RHP Cory Jones (No. 180)
10. RHP Kurt Heyer (No. 210)
11. RHP Kyle Barraclough (No. 240)

The Cards are next on the clock at pick No. 270. If you want to follow along, check it out live on MLB.com.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ballwith John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft Results: St. Louis Cardinals Select RHP Kurt Heyer At No. 210

For the St. Louis Cardinals' sixth round selection, the Cards have selected RHP Kurt Heyer out of Arizona University. In his three seasons with Arizona, Heyer threw 360 innings of 2.52 ERA baseball. He struck out 8.35 batters and walked 1.90 batters per nine innings in his collegiate career.

Here is a look at the Cards' selections through their first ten picks:

1. RHP Michael Wacha (No. 19 overall)
2. OF James Ramsey (No. 23)
3. 1B-3B Stephen Piscotty (No. 36)
4. 3B Patrick Wisdom (No. 52)
5. C Steve Bean (No. 59)
6. 3B Carson Kelly (No. 86)
7. LHP Tim Cooney (No. 117)
8. SS Alejandro Meija (No. 150)
9. RHP Cory Jones (No. 180)
10. RHP Kurt Heyer (No. 210)

The Cards are next on the clock at pick No. 240. If you want to follow along, check it out live on MLB.com.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ballwith John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft Results: St. Louis Cardinals Select RHP Cory Jones At No. 180

For the St. Louis Cardinals' fourth round selection, the Cards have selected RHP Cory Jones out of Arizona University, where he hit .357/.388/.485 in the 2012 NCAA season. According to the scouting report from MLB.com, Jones offers a potentially useful bullpen arm:

Teams looking for talent in the junior college ranks might want to look at the power right arm of Jones. He jumped on the prospect map this year, his first at College of the Canyons after a transfer from Pepperdine. A starter now, his future may be in the bullpen, where his fastball, which touches the mid-90s, and his inconsistent power breaking ball, would play up.

Here is a look at the Cards' selections through their first nine picks:

1. RHP Michael Wacha (No. 19 overall)
2. OF James Ramsey (No. 23)
3. 1B-3B Stephen Piscotty (No. 36)
4. 3B Patrick Wisdom (No. 52)
5. C Steve Bean (No. 59)
6. 3B Carson Kelly (No. 86)
7. LHP Tim Cooney (No. 117)
8. SS Alejandro Meija (No. 150)
9. RHP Cory Jones (No. 180)

The Cards are next on the clock at pick No. 210. If you want to follow along, check it out live on MLB.com.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft Results: St. Louis Cardinals Select SS Alejandro Meija At No. 150

For the St. Louis Cardinals' fourth round selection, the Cards have selected SS Alejandro Meija out of Arizona University, where he hit .357/.388/.485 in the 2012 NCAA season.

So far, St. Louis has leaned heavily on the position player depth in the draft. Here is a look at their picks through the fourth round:

1. RHP Michael Wacha (No. 19 overall)
2. OF James Ramsey (No. 23)
3. 1B-3B Stephen Piscotty (No. 36)
4. 3B Patrick Wisdom (No. 52)
5. C Steve Bean (No. 59)
6. 3B Carson Kelly (No. 86)
7. LHP Tim Cooney (No. 117)
8. SS Alejandro Meija (No. 150)

The Cards are next on the clock at pick No. 180. If you want to follow along, check it out live on MLB.com.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft Results: St. Louis Cardinals Select LHP Tim Cooney At No. 117

With the 117th pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected LHP Tim Cooney out of Wake Forest University in North Carolina.

The Cardinals grabbed Michael Wacha, RHP (Texas A&M) at No. 19, James Ramsey, OF (Florida State) with No. 23, Stephen Piscotty, 1B-3B (Stanford) as the No. 36 pick, Patrick Wisdom, 3B (St. Mary's) at No. 52 and Steve Bean, C (Rockwall, TX HS) with the No. 59 selection. On Tuesday they opened the action by taking RHP and 3B Carson Kelly of Westview High School in Oregon at No. 86 overall.

The Cards are next on the clock at pick No. 150. If you want to follow along, check it out live on MLB.com.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft Results: Cardinals Select RHP Carson Kelly At Pick No. 86

With the 86th pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, the St. Louis selected right-handed pitcher and third baseman Carson Kelly of Westview High School in Oregon. Kelly is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and was listed as the top 2012 MLB Draft prospect from the Pacific Northwest by MLB.com. He has the potential to play 3B, but the Cardinals announced him as a pitcher. He can reach the low 90s on his fastball, but some teams had been interested because of his potential at the plate, according to his MLB.com scouting report. Kelly is committed to the University of Oregon.

The St. Louis Cardinals grabbed Michael Wacha, RHP (Texas A&M) at No. 19, James Ramsey, OF (Florida State) with No. 23, Stephen Piscotty, 1B-3B (Stanford) as the No. 36 pick, Patrick Wisdom, 3B (St. Mary's) at No. 52 and Steve Bean, C (Rockwall, TX HS) with the No. 59 selection.

The Cards are next on the clock at picks No. 117 and No. 150. If you want to follow along, check it out live on MLB.com.

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft Order, Day 2 Schedule And Live Stream Link

The 2012 MLB Draft continues on Tuesday with Day 2, and every team will be looking for hidden gems as rounds 2-15 and the Compensation B round are completed. The St. Louis Cardinals grabbed Michael Wacha, RHP (Texas A&M) at No. 19, James Ramsey, OF (Florida State) with No. 23, Stephen Piscotty, 1B-3B (Stanford) as the No. 36 pick, Patrick Wisdom, 3B (St. Mary's) at No. 52 and Steve Bean, C (Rockwall, TX HS) with the No. 59 selection.

There is plenty more work to do, and the Cards are next on the clock at picks No. 86, No. 117 and No. 150. Here is the Day 2 schedule and the stream link:

June 5, 11:00 a.m. CT
Rounds 2-15, First-Year Player Draft
Live on MLB.com

To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft: Michael Wacha, Like Adam Wainwright Before Him, A Prototypical Cardinals Starter

The first day's worth of 2012 MLB Draft results are out, and the St. Louis Cardinals made a perfectly predictable pick with the No. 19 supplemental pick they got for losing Albert Pujols in free agency: A polished college pitcher who's tall, right-handed, and throws a fastball he's got great command of in the low-to-mid 90s. That's Michael Wacha, of Texas A&M, the basically Adam Wainwright-shaped pitcher the Cardinals drafted Monday night to start their five-pick first round.

He's got a good fastball, a solid change-up, and a curveball that Future Redbirds suggests will have to be scrapped entirely. His strikeout rates aren't quite what you'd want to see from a first-round starter, but he's got great command and he could be ready soon to reach his ceiling, which is somewhere in the No. 3 starter range.

Not the most exciting pick the Cardinals could have made, but then the Cardinals don't make very many of those. He could be valuable shortly, though, and consistently—and that's been the Cardinals' M.O. for a while now.

More St. Louis Cardinals Draft 2012 coverage from SB Nation St. Louis:

• The Cardinals internet exploded when second first-rounder James Ramsey was compared to Skip Schumaker.
• Here's an early scouting report on Michael Wacha.
• The big win, according to pre-draft reports, was No. 36 pick Stephen Piscotty, a smooth-hitting third baseman.

2012 MLB Draft Results: St. Louis Cardinals Go College-Heavy On Day 1

The St. Louis Cardinals went college-heavy on Day 1 of the 2012 MLB Draft. Results-first guys dominate their first round, with Michael Wacha going No. 19 overall and James Ramsey, an undersized batting-champ type, going No. 23. Later on they selected Stephen Piscotty, a polished bat-first third baseman reminiscent of Zack Cox. It was a perfectly conventional draft for the Cardinals, who in addition to Cox selected Kolten Wong, another top college hitter with average tools, with their first pick in the 2011 draft.

Despite Jeff Luhnow's exit, the Cardinals' draft Monday was basically recognizable as a Cardinals draft. The cheap cogs on last year's World Series team seem like the paragons of their system—this is a draft designed to produce more Jon Jay types, more Allen Craig types, more Fernando Salas types. In 2012 Matt Carpenter and Lance Lynn have continued to prove the dividends that strategy can pay, but it is, admittedly, a little boring in the short term. Here's their complete draft day so far, with links to additional coverage:

No. 19 Michael Wacha is a tall, Adam Wainwright-shaped college pitcher from Texas A&M. No. 23 James Ramsey is a college senior with a line-drive bat whose signability may have been much of the appeal; MLB.com's draft-day comparison to Skip Schumaker briefly set the internet on fire. No. 36 Stephen Piscotty is another college star, although scouts liked him somewhat more than Ramsey. No. 52 Patrick Wisdom is the night's big surprise, a power-hitting third baseman coming off an awful year. Finally, No. 59 Steve Bean is a high school catcher with an interesting bat.

2012 MLB Draft: St. Louis Cardinals Take High School Catcher Steve Bean To Close Long First Round

With the 59th pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Steve Bean, a catcher from Rockwall High School in Texas. Here's what MLB.com had to say about Bean:

It's not a great class for catching, especially from the high school ranks, so Bean has the chance to do pretty well come Draft time, especially considering he's a left-handed-hitting backstop. The University of Texas commit makes consistent hard contact and should have some future power. He has a strong arm behind the dish and should have the receiving skills to stay there long term.

This supplemental pick has always been the wild-card in the controversial trade that sent Edwin Jackson to the Cardinals in exchange for erstwhile super-prospect (and top 2005 pick) Colby Rasmus—now we, the fans worried in the first place about trading for a mercenary as the team appeared to spiral out of contention, can finally get a look at the last player the Cardinals got, indirectly, from the Blue Jays. Of course, in the meantime the whole narrative has changed a little—if Edwin Jackson never quite ingratiated himself with Cardinals fans, ostenisble throw-in Octavio Dotel rapidly became one of the team's most popular, and effective, relievers while they did that whole winning-the-World-Series thing.

With that the Cardinals end their distended first round of the 2012 MLB Draft, but draft season isn't over yet—follow along on this storystream and at Viva El Birdos as the Cardinals continue to repopulate their farm system.

2012 MLB Draft: St. Louis Cardinals Select St. Mary's Third Baseman Patrick Wisdom At Pick No. 52

The St. Louis Cardinals selected Patrick Wisdom, a third baseman out of St. Mary's, with the No. 52 overall selection in the 2012 MLB Draft. Here's what MLB.com had to say about Wisdom:

Power-hitting college bats always get attention. With Wisdom, it will come down to potential vs. performance in 2012. Wisdom has shown the ability to hit the ball out to all fields when he makes contact. He has plus power to the pull side. The issue is that he hasn't been able to show an ability to make consistent contact to tap into that strength. Wisdom is a solid defender at third with a plus arm, with more than enough glove to stay at the hot corner. It all comes down to the bat for Wisdom. If a team thinks that his junior year struggles were an aberration and that he can find some consistency at the plate, it will see a player who profiles well as a run-producing third baseman of the future.

Octavio Dotel was a major piece of the Cardinals' unlikely World Series run last year, and with the bullpen presently a shambles some fans—even the prospect mavens—are a little uncertain as to whether doing without the veteran set-up man was worth this compensation. But a strong start to the minor league season would probably be enough to at least get us Future Redbirds readers off John Mozeliak's back.

The Cardinals have made four picks already, but this isn't over quite yet—the Cardinals have more picks to come as the 2012 MLB Draft rolls on.

For up-to-the-minute updates stay tuned to this storystream, or check out the analysis at Viva El Birdos.

2012 MLB Draft: St. Louis Cardinals Choose Stanford Third Baseman Stephen Piscotty

With the No. 36 pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Stephen Piscotty, a third baseman from Stanford. Here's the player's MLB.com scouting report:

Already on radars following a sophomore season that saw him hit .364, Piscotty certainly helped his status with a strong Cape League season, where he won the batting title with his .349 average.Piscotty has an easy swing with good bat speed, making consistent hard contact and hitting to all fields. He's shown raw power to all fields as well and with some added strength there could be more there. An average runner, Piscotty is a good defender at third, with an accurate arm, good hands and decent range. He also can play the outfield, giving him a little flexibility.He hasn't shown much in-game home run power to date, but a team that thinks it will come with maturity will jump at the chance to add his bat and excellent baseball instincts to its system.

The Cardinals' Albert Pujols grieving process is ongoing, but this selection closes the door, at least, on the transaction that saw him head west to Los Angeles. It's also their first supplemental pick since 2010's set of two, which produced Seth Blair—so far a disappointment, unable to find the handle on his pitches in the low minors—and top prospect Tyrell Jenkins, a still-raw top prospect with top-of-the-rotation potential.

Those picks, of course, weren't for Albert Pujols—they were for losing Cardinal notables Mark DeRosa and Joel Pineiro. I don't want to say there's a little more pressure in this particular set-up, but only because it seems too readily apparent.

The Cardinals have more picks to come as the 2012 MLB Draft rolls on. For up-to-the-minute updates stay tuned to this storystream, or check out the analysis at Viva El Birdos.

St. Louis Cardinals Draft Pick James Ramsey Compared To Skip Schumaker, Tim Tebow; Internet Explodes

2012 MLB Draft: St. Louis Cardinals Select Big Right-Handed College Pitcher, Stereotype Michael Wacha

2012 MLB Draft: St. Louis Cardinals Choose Florida State Outfielder James Ramsey

With the No. 23 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Florida State senior outfielder James Ramsey. Here's what scouting report on the newest Cards prospect from MLB.com:

With the new Draft rules in place this year, many feel college seniors will get drafted early as teams find ways to be economically responsible. Ramsey could be the first such senior to test that theory. While power isn't a part of the outfielder's game, Ramsey does make consistent contact, spraying the ball all over the field. The left-handed hitter uses his plus speed well, on the move as he swings a la Ichiro, and not afraid to steal a base. His speed plays well in the outfield, as does his solid arm and outstanding instincts. What his ultimate role is at the big league level remains to be seen, but as a college hitter who's performed well, Ramsey is one college senior who should come off the board pretty quickly.

This is their own first-round pick; the one they used earlier on Texas A&M pitcher Michael Wacha belonged to the Angels.

The Cardinals used their first pick back in 2011 on University of Hawaii second baseman, Kolten Wong, who's rapidly emerged as one of their top prospects. Already in the high minors and hitting over .300 with AA Springfield, he's proved to be the most successful application yet of the Cardinals' periodically applied strategy of going after high-polish college types—which earlier produced the slumping Zack Cox and Brett Wallace. He's not as exciting as Shelby Miller, an example of the opposite approach and the Cardinals' first-rounder in 2009, but he could help the big league club as soon as next year.

The Cardinals have more picks to come as the 2012 MLB Draft rolls on. For up-to-the-minute updates stay tuned to this storystream, or check out the analysis at Viva El Birdos.

2012 MLB Draft Results: St. Louis Cardinals Take Pitcher Michael Wacha With First Pick

With the No. 19 overall pick of the 2012 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected right-handed pitcher Michael Wacha, a junior from Texas A&M. Wacha was projected to go earlier in the draft a few weeks ago. The Cards ended his draft day fall at pick No. 19.

Here's the MLB.com scouting report on Wacha.

Wacha jumped on the prospect map very early into his Aggies career and while he's still the top college arm in Texas, he's not quite as high profile now as people thought he might be after the start of his college career.Wacha reminds some of Jon Garland because of his size. He has a live, quick arm that can produce a fastball up to 94 mph, sitting comfortably in the 92-93 mph range. There might be more there, pointing to a future plus fastball. He can spin a curve, though some think he'd be better off throwing a slider at the next level. He doesn't throw a changeup much, but it could be an average offering. He can throw his pitches for strikes and goes right after hitters.Even if he's not the elite college arm some thought he would be, he still has the chance to be a big, durable big league starter. And those don't grow on trees.

This pick originally belonged to the Angels but was transferred to St. Louis as compensation for the loss of Albert Pujols to Los Angeles. The Cardinals will earn an additional compensation pick for the loss of Pujols in the supplemental round, where they'll draft No. 36 overall, and given the lack of immediacy in the MLB Draft his successors are, more properly, Lance Berkman and Matt Adams, who replace him at first base.

But this draft-opening pick marks their first chance to get some value back for losing their franchise player to free agency, and they'll want to get the most out of it.

For more on the Cardinals' moves in the 2012 MLB Draft as news breaks and picks get made, stay tuned to this storystream or check out the analysis at Viva El Birdos.

2012 MLB Mock Draft: Cardinals Select Richie Shaffer, Addison Russell In MLB.com Mock Draft

The St. Louis Cardinals possess the No. 19 pick in the upcoming 2012 MLB draft, and the latest mock draft from MLB.com's Jonathon Mayo has the Cards adding some infield depth in the first round:

19. St. Louis Cardinals: Richie Shaffer 3B/1B, Clemson

The Cardinals have two picks in the first round and thus have a little flexibility should they want to be more aggressive. That might come later on if Shaffer and his college power bat are still on the board.

23. St. Louis Cardinals: Addison Russell, SS, Pace HS (Fla.)

Russell got himself in terrific shape last offseason and has shown many scouts that perhaps he can stay at shortstop. He has a ton of offensive upside and he had a tremendous performance at the Florida all-star weekend over Memorial Day weekend, which means he could rise up higher than this.

St. Louis has one of the highest-ranked minor league systems in the majors, but have a general dearth of infield talent. Adding Shaffer and Russell should go a long way towards rectifying that shortcoming.

For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft: Stryker Trahan A St. Louis Cardinals-Fan Favorite—Before He's Even Drafted

The 2012 MLB Draft hasn't even started yet, but in my capacity as editor of Viva El Birdos I've already noticed a St. Louis Cardinals fan favorite emerge—the stupendously named Stryker Trahan, a left-handed hitting high school catcher with excellent all-around hitting skills. Tim McCullough of Future Redbirds encapsulates The Case For Stryker Trahan perfectly here; basically, if you believe Trahan can stick at catcher he could be Brian McCann. He would be a fit for the Cardinals at No. 19 or No. 23, and with Yadier Molina locked into a long-term contract he would instantly become the long-term heir apparent, with bat enough to help elsewhere should Molina still be entrenched by the time he's ready.

This reminds me a lot of Daric Barton in 2003, only with more catching ability and a little less hitting hype. Barton, thanks in part to his emergence on a perennially dysfunctional Oakland Athletics team, has never quite lived up to the potential he flashed as a teenaged Wade Boggs in the Midwest League. But if he were at catcher he probably would have made an All-Star team by now.

More 2012 MLB Draft coverage from SB Nation St. Louis:

• All this depends on whether the Cardinals' new draft strategy involves high schoolers at all.
• What we know right now: They plan to be very aggressive.

2012 MLB Mock Draft: Baseball Prospectus Sees Two Position Players For The Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals will have many options with their two picks in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft, and with all the variables at play they could end up with any mix of players. There have been various rumors regarding the Cardinals' preferences for position players over pitchers or high schoolers over college players, but those won't completely be revealed until they pick on Monday night.

For his part, Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus sees the Cardinals taking two position players in the first round in his newest mock draft, with one being a high schooler and another being a college hitter. The first is high school shortstop Addison Russell, who has been linked to St. Louis in many mock drafts over the past few days. Here is Goldstein on that projection:

19. St. Louis Cardinals ($1.9M): Addison Russell, SS, Pace HS (FL)
The Cardinals are another team with two first-round picks, but they don't seem to be connected to [Lucas] Giolito. Russell won't be the easiest of signs, but the Cardinals can give a little bit extra to add a big athletic shortstop to their system.

With their second pick in the first round, Goldstein sees the Cards taking Clemson Tigers third basemen Richie Shaffer, who is widely seen as the best college hitter in a historically weak year for them. Here is Goldstein on that pick:

23. St. Louis Cardinals ($1.775M): Richie Shaffer, 3B, Clemson
Another player who needs to find a home, Shaffer is a good find here as St. Louis can cut a deal with him to stop the slide. Plenty of affordable high school players in the mix here as well, especially position players with tools like D.J. Davis and Lewis Brinson.

For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation.

2012 MLB Draft: The Lost Transcript: Jeff Luhnow Talks St. Louis Cardinals, Draft Mentality Last June

Last year Jeff Luhnow, then the St. Louis Cardinals' Vice President of Player Procurement, and I sat down to discuss trading young players, drafting to a position of strength, and measuring risk versus reward when considering players with high contract demands.

Here's what Luhnow, now set to pick first overall in the 2012 MLB Draft as the Houston Astros' general manager, had to say.

MLB Draft 2012: New Bonus Rules Restrict Teams' Operating Room

2012 MLB Mock Draft: SB Nation's John Sickels Has Cardinals Taking Pitchers Lucas Giolito And Pierce Johnson

Minor League Ball's John Sickels has completed his final 2012 MLB Mock draft and has the St. Louis Cardinals going with a pair of pitchers in the first round. Here's what Sickels has to say about that first selection, Lucas Giolito at No. 19 overall.

19) St. Louis Cardinals: Will the Cardinals handle their extra picks by taking more chances, or will they play it safe and avoid signability/money problems? You can make a case for the Cards picking Giolito, daring him to turn down the money and risk his arm in school. While there are some rumors to that effect, it seems like a long shot. . but what the hell, it will make this mock draft more interesting, it is somewhat plausible, and at this point in the process it is all guesswork anyway. Lucas Giolito, RHP, California HS. If you don't feel like gambling, Gallo, Pierce Johnson, Addison Russell, and Stryker Trahan could all fit here.

The Cardinals also have the No. 23 overall pick, where Sickels projects Pierce Johnson to be selected.

For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation.

2012 MLB Draft: TV Schedule, Start Time And More

The 2012 MLB Draft begins on Monday evening with live first round coverage from the MLB Network; it's the first of an important three days for the league's 30 franchises.

Related: 2012 MLB Mock Draft: Keith Law Sees Prep Shortstop, College Pitcher For Cards

The St. Louis Cardinals have two picks in the top 25 -- Nos. 19 and 23 overall -- and there has been plenty of speculation about which prospects the organization might choose. The full draft order can be found at this link.

Here is the full draft schedule, with television and Internet coverage where applicable.

June 4, 5 p.m. CT
Draft preview show
Live on MLB Network and MLB.com

June 4, 6 p.m. CT
Round 1 & Comp A, First-Year Player Draft
Live on MLB Network and MLB.com

June 5, 11:00 a.m. CT
Rounds 2-15, First-Year Player Draft
Live on MLB.com

June 6, 11:00 a.m. CT
Rounds 16-40, First-Year Player Draft
Live on MLB.com

For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more in-depth coverage of the Cardinals, head over to Viva El Birdos. For more draft coverage, check out Minor League Ball and Baseball Nation.

2012 MLB Mock Draft: MLB.com Sees Cardinals Taking Two Prep Hitters

The St. Louis Cardinals are projected to snag a pair of high school position players in the latest mock draft from MLB.com prospect guru Jonathan Mayo. Given that the Cardinals have more picks than most teams in this year's draft, including two first round selections, many analysts expect them to be more aggressive than others in taking high-risk/high-reward players.

With their first pick in the draft, 19th overall, Mayo sees St. Louis nabbing Northwest Cabarrus HS infielder Corey Seager:

The Cardinals have two picks in the first round and thus have a little flexibility should they want to be more aggressive. That could come in handy in landing Seager, whose older brother Kyle plays third base for the Mariners, and a high schooler rumored to be tougher to sign.

Just a few picks later at No. 23, the Cardinals are slotted to pick once again, and Mayo sees them taking Pace HS shortstop Addison Russell:

Russell got himself in terrific shape last offseason and has shown many scouts that perhaps he can stay at shortstop with a ton of offensive upside. He had a tremendous performance at the Florida all-star weekend, which means he could go earlier than this pick.

These picks would certainly help to bolster a farm system that's not exactly loaded in quality infielders. At the moment, the organization's most impressive infield prospects are third baseman Zack Cox, second baseman Kolten Wong and shortstop Ryan Jackson.

For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Mock Draft: Keith Law Sees Prep Shortstop, College Pitcher For Cards

The St. Louis Cardinals have two picks in the 2012 MLB Draft, both in the middle of the first round where the draft usually has already turned unpredictable. So projecting their picks is an inexact science, but if there's one consensus player that draft prognosticators think the Cards are targeting, it's prep shortstop Addison Russell.

In his newest 2012 mock draft, ESPN's Keith Law has the Cardinals snagging Russell with their first pick at No. 19 overall, which comes as compensation from the Los Angeles Angels for signing Albert Pujols. Here is Law on the projection:

Addison Russell, SS, Pace (Fla.) H.S.
Russell is one of the best athletes in the draft with a real chance to stick at short. St. Louis is on most of the same names as Toronto, with more emphasis on bats. (This is the compensation pick the Cardinals got from the Angels for Albert Pujols.)

With the team's second pick, Law has them taking Duke pitcher Marcus Stroman, who is seen by many as having some of the best stuff in the draft but who has likely been pushed back to the end of the first round thanks to his short stature. Here is Law on that pick, which comes at No. 23 overall:

Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke
I haven't heard him strongly connected to too many teams, even though everyone raves about his stuff. In addition to the bats from pick No. 19, they're linked to prep lefty Hunter Virant here.

For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

MLB Draft 2012: Cardinals Plan Aggressive Draft Strategy

The St. Louis Cardinals have a league-leading five picks in the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft, which begins June 4, and they plan to pull no punches in the amateur selection process:

"Certainly from a scouting standpoint, our strategy has to be aggressive," said Dan Kantrovitz, who took over as the organization's director of scouting in January. "Because we have three picks in a span of 20 picks, we've been aggressive in terms of seeing players that might fit into that range multiple times. Right now, we're approaching each pick in terms of players' talents and then in terms of our budget constraints."

The Cardinals will have to navigate the MLB's revamped Collective Bargaining Agreement, which heavily curtails draft spending.

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MLB Draft 2012: Cardinals Have High Picks, Will They Take High Schoolers?

The 2012 MLB Draft is nearly here, and the St. Louis Cardinals are loaded with high-end picks. St. Louis owns picks No. 19 (from Angels for Albert Pujols, Type A), No. 23, No. 36 (Pujols compensation), No. 52 (for Octavio Dotel, Type B, from Tigers) and No. 59 (for Edwin Jackson, Type B, from Nationals). As a primer on the draft Viva El Birdos has complied a nice list of possible draftees, and here are some of the players that have caught the eye of Cardinals fans:

Hunter Virant, LHP, California HS -- Best name among all the pitchers. Left-handed. Love the delivery. He hasn't really done much to improve his draft stock this spring, but he's still my personal favorite.

Lucas Giolito, RHP, California HS -- The elbow issues make him a wild card at this point. Even so, the talent is enormous and undeniable, and I would be willing to take the chance on him. I think his delivery needs work, but this guy could be an absolute monster down the road.

Stryker Trahan, C, Louisiana HS -- Most of us know Trahan's name by now; it's been thrown around quite a lot in connection with the Cardinals. He's an excellent fit for the organisation in my opinion (and the opinions of lots of others), possessing an excellent blend of high-end talent and positional value. Not everyone is sure he'll end up a catcher, but enough do that I think he's close to a best case scenario for the Cards.

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2012 MLB Mock Draft: Could Be Two High Schoolers For Cards, According To Keith Law

The St. Louis Cardinals already have one of the strongest farm systems in baseball, and the rich will have a very good chance at getting richer in the 2012 MLB Draft. The Cardinals have two picks— their own, and one from the Los Angeles Angels as compensation for Albert Pujols. In recent years, St. Louis has drafted both a high school player (Shelby Miller) and a college player (Kolten Wong), and they're generally believed to be open to many players in this year's draft.

In his most recent 2012 MLB mock draft, ESPN's Keith Law sees the Cardinals taking two high schoolers. The first, at No. 19 overall, is Louisiana high school catcher Stryker Trahan, who was seen as a top prospect earlier in the draft process but who has slipped a bit after a disappointing season. That said, Law believes the talent is still very much there and that he could be a bargain at that pick.

With their second pick, Law sees St. Louis taking Hunter Virant, a high school lefty pitcher from California. According to Law, Virant, who is 6' 3" but only 172 pounds, could add a good amount of velocity in pro ball as he fills out.

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2012 MLB Mock Draft: 3B Stephen Piscotty Could Be Among Cardinals' Targets

In the latest MLB mock draft from MLB Draft Guide, the St. Louis Cardinals select third baseman Stephen Piscotty with their first pick.

Here's one assessment of Piscotty.

Needs to stay at third base to be a true prospect. Doesn’t have power profile to be more than a fringe big leaguer at first base. At third base, could be a high average, solid on base guy with plenty of doubles and mid-teens in home runs. Defense will never be stellar but could be adequate and allow him to maintain value. Intelligent player with a strong work ethic. Ceiling of a solid regular at third base with peak seasons slightly better than that.

Related: MLB Mock Draft 2012: Cardinals Select 3B Corey Seager In MLB.com Mock Draft

Piscotty is hitting .319/.405/.460 with five HR and 54 RBI for Stanford this season.

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MLB Draft 2012: Baseball America Projects College Hitter, Prep Pitcher For St. Louis

The St. Louis Cardinals lost Albert Pujols, but gained a pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. Not a fair trade, no, but a first round pick still holds a lot of worth, as a good, young player who vastly outplays his salary is one of the most valuable commodities in the game. Of course, first round picks must travel a very long road before they reach that status, but the Cardinals have shown an ability in recent years to begin to squeeze the potential out of their draftees.

The Cardinals have two picks in this draft, and are expected to target at least one hitter, if not two. In his most recent mock draft, Baseball America's Jim Callis sees one hitter and one pitcher for St. Louis. Callis sees St. Louis taking Clemson third baseman Richie Shaffer, whose seen by most as the best college hitter amongst a severely weakened crop of college hitters.

With their second pick at No. 23 overall, Callis projects the Cardinals to take Lucas Sims, a right handed pitcher from Snellville, Ga. who happens to be a Clemson commit.

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MLB Draft 2012: Shelby Miller's Velocity Drop Shows Fickleness Of Draft-Day Profiling

Ahead of the 2012 MLB Draft—and ahead of our inevitable fetishization of whomever the St. Louis Cardinals select in it—it's worth talking a little about Keith Law's assessment of Shelby Miller, the Cardinals' top prospect from the moment he was draft No. 19 overall in 2009. Back then—and since, when he's made his uninterrupted climb up into the Top 10 of most MLB prospect lists—he was lauded for his mid-to-high-90s fastball. Now, per Law, his fastball is down to "90-93," but he remains a top prospect (and an effective pitcher in AAA Memphis.)

Forget about his effectiveness: The Shelby Miller we get in 2013 might look nothing like the one we were promised in 2009, no matter how good he is. Prospects make wild shifts like these all the time; the most confusing one for me has been the plight of longtime Tampa Bay Rays prospect Reid Brignac. In the low minors he was an imposing slugger who probably didn't have the glove to stick at shortstop; now he's an outstanding shortstop who doesn't have the bat to stick in the majors. To move across sports, it's a little like a more abrupt version of the change that occurs in the NBA periodically, a kind of Dan Majerle syndrome—where a ferocious dunker becomes, after he turns 25, a smooth three-point shooter.

Miller, in all likelihood, is fine. So when the Cardinals make their pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, just remember that the shortstop with the great arm and excellent speed might, before he's winning All-Star Games for the National League, end up a power-hitting catcher.

MLB Mock Draft 2012: Cardinals Select 3B Corey Seager In MLB.com Mock Draft

Jonathon Mayo's latest mock draft for the 2012 MLB Draft has the St. Louis Cardinals selecting a young high school infielder:

19. St. Louis Cardinals: Corey Seager, 3B, Northwest Cabarrus HS (N.C.)
The Cardinals have two picks in the first round and thus have a little flexibility should they want to be more aggressive. There are college hitters like Shaffer and some interesting ones from high school. Seager, whose older brother Kyle plays third base for the Mariners, is a shortstop now, but most see him at the hot corner as a pro.

Corey Seager is the younger brother of current Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager. He also played for the USA Baseball 16-and-Under team, earning a gold medal in the 2010 Pan Am Championships.

Here is some video of the young prospect, courtesy of The Seattle Times:

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MLB Mock Draft 2012: Cardinals Select SS Addison Russell In Latest Mock Draft

The latest computerized 2012 MLB Mock Draft from Minor League Ball suggest the St. Louis Cardinals -- who sport five first round picks -- will take SS Addison Russell out of Pace High School in Florida. Here is a breakdown of St. Louis's first-round draft selections:

19) Addison Russell (SS) Pace (Fla.) HS (HS)

23) Hunter Virant (P) Camarillo (HS)

36) Brett Phillips (OF) Seminole (HS)

52) Shane Watson (P) Lakewood (HS)

59) Mitchell Traver (P) Houston Christian (HS)

Though the Cardinals may be in the market for a future shortstop, the current computerized draft does not calculate team needs, but just prioritizes the best players on the board.

For the for list of Cardinals selections, head to Minor League Ball.

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MLB Draft 2012: Skye Bolt Scouting Report

MLB Mock Draft 2012: A Computerized Mock Draft Gives Cardinals Lance McCullers, Taylore Cherry

A 2012 MLB Mock Draft is a much more difficult, involved process than, say, the NFL mocks were earlier this year; there are hundreds upon hundreds of picks, some of which are assigned by arcane free-agency-related processes, none of these picks are famous, and none of them will be famous for another year or two on the outside, unless they're Stephen Strasburg or Bryce Harper. So I was interested to see Minor League Ball's Matt Garioch attempt an automated MLB Mock Draft, organized by randomly generating a number within a range of picks in which each prospect figures to be taken. The results for the St. Louis Cardinals: Pitchers Lance McCullers and Taylore Cherry.

Lance McCullers is a high-school righty with a big-leaguer father—Lance McCullers, Sr., briefly a shutdown reliever with the San Diego Padres—and a high-90s fastball that could threaten the triple-digits. The only thing keeping him from top-of-the-draft consideration is his height—he's listed at 6'2", which has scouts thinking "reliever" as a reflex. (Here's a nice interview with him from 2010.) Taylore Cherry is another high schooler, but he's enormous, standing 6'9" and weighing 260 pounds; he also lacks McCullers's velocity, at least right now.

Two high schoolers would be a big change of pace from the Cardinals' recent polish-heavy drafts, but their last big risk—Shelby Miller—is just about to pay dividends. For more 2012 MLB Draft news and updates, with an eye on the St. Louis Cardinals, "like" our MLB Draft storystream on Facebook.

MLB Mock Draft 2012: Keith Law Projects Cardinals To Take Stryker Trahan, Stephen Piscotty In Round 1

ESPN's Keith Law recently released his first mock of the upcoming MLB draft, and he has projections on both of the St. Louis Cardinals' first round picks for this year. The Cardinals have both the No. 19 and No. 23 picks in the draft after receiving the former pick as compensation for Albert Pujols joining the Los Angeles Angels.

With the 19th overall pick, Law sees St. Louis selecting prep catcher Stryker Trahan out of Acadiana High School in Lafayette, La.:

This is the compensation pick the Cardinals got from the Angels for Albert Pujols. St. Louis is linked to lots of bats, including Cecchini if he's here, Davis, Russell and Stanford's Stephen Piscotty. Haven't heard Gallo here, but he'd make a lot of sense if they believe he'll hit. Sims is one pitching possibility.

After bringing up Piscotty in that blurb, Law sees the Cards snagging him with the No. 23 pick:

Stanford tends to stress an extremely mechanical approach to hitting that often robs hitters of power and flexibility, but it hasn't hindered Piscotty as much as previous Cardinal prospects. As noted earlier, the Cardinals are looking for bats.

A third baseman at Stanford, Law believes Piscotty can become an above-average regular at the position if pro coaches can help to fix his swing. Stanford coaches are notorious for discouraging hitters from pulling the ball, leading to poor hitting mechanics and a less power-oriented approach at the plate.

For more on the Cardinals, stick with SB Nation St. Louis. For more news, notes and analysis head over to Viva El Birdos. For more from around the league, check out Baseball Nation with Rob Neyer.

2012 MLB Draft: High School Bats With Power Potential Might Impress Cardinals

Over at Viva El Birdos the red baron has been running his 2012 MLB Draft scouting reports, an annual routine, and he's come upon a prospect he particularly likes for the St. Louis Cardinals: Trey Williams, a high school outfielder with power potential and a surprising amount of polish already. Or maybe unsurprising—his father was a first-rounder himself, 1983 No. 4 Eddie Williams.

The Cardinals' lack of power potential in their farm system has long been commented on, and while it's less true now than it's been in a while, now that Matt Adams and Oscar Taveras have broken out, it's still an area I'd like to see the Cardinals attack more directly. Their recent foray into big-ticket high-average hitters has mostly disappointed; Brett Wallace is in and out of the major leagues with the Houston Astros, and Zack Cox has struggled in his first exposure to AAA Memphis.

They'll be running more scouting reports at VEB all the way up to draft day; stay tuned there and to this storystream for more information as we count down to the 2012 MLB Draft this June.

MLB Draft 2012: What Will The St. Louis Cardinals Do With Their Albert Pujols Compensation Pick?

The St. Louis Cardinals go into the 2012 MLB Draft with a lot of draft picks to burn—five in the first 59 picks, to be exact, thanks to the various players they lost to free agency in the offseason following their World Series victory. No pick, however, will hold quite so much narrative value as the last part of their Albert Pujols compensation—the No. 36 pick in the supplemental round. (The Cardinals also get the Los Angeles Angels' first-rounder.) In their baseball mock draft, John Sickels and Matt Garioch of our own Minor League Ball connected the Cardinals with a high school outfielder for that portentous pick.

Nick Williams is his name. He's from Texas, and ostensibly committed to the Texas Longhorns, and he's exactly the kind of toolsy, high-speed outfielder the Cardinals targeted multiple times in their 2011 draft, starting with Charlie Tilson. Garrioch likes his well-rounded set of hitting skills, and ESPNHS suggests he's got the defense for center field and some power potential.

It's hard to say who the Cardinals will draft this far ahead of draft day, but a player like Nick WIlliams would definitely fit their MO of late.

MLB Draft 2012: St. Louis Cardinals' System Already Stacked

The St. Louis Cardinals go into the 2012 MLB Draft season with the best farm system they've had in years. Last season's first-rounder, Kolten Wong, is hitting .329/.418/.518 in AA Springfield as a 21-year-old. No. 1 prospect Shelby Miller is in AAA Memphis, and likely the first man up in case of a rotation emergency. And Oscar Taveras, the Cardinals' 20-year-old hitting star, is slugging .667 and throwing up the Bryce Harper signal after being tested with a AA promotion of his own.

And now they have draft picks. Lots of draft picks. The Cardinals' own No. 23 pick is joined by a No. 19 and a No. 36 for Albert Pujols's departure, No. 52 for Octavio Dotel, and No. 59 for Edwin Jackson. That raft of early draft choices could solidify the Cardinals' status as a top farm system in baseball.

Of course, there is one complication—the Cardinals' minor league guru, Jeff Luhnow, is now GM of the Houston Astros. In addition to Luhnow's departure the Cardinals will also have to reorient their pitching priorities with Dave Duncan away from the team.

More St. Louis Cardinals coverage from SB Nation St. Louis:

• Here's a look at the Cardinals' place in the 2012 MLB Draft order.
• Meanwhile, one of the Cardinals' priorities has already changed: Mike Matheny loves to run.

2012 MLB Draft Order: Cardinals Hold 5 Of Top 59 Picks In First-Year Player Draft

Major League Baseball has officially announced the 2012 MLB Draft order, and the St. Louis Cardinals joined the Toronto Blue Jays as the two MLB teams with the most picks in the top 60 selections.