Kolten Wong, the St. Louis Cardinals' number-one pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, doesn't appear to be as tough a sign as Zack Cox was last season—Derrick Goold reports that Wong's adviser sees a deal as possible after "a couple of weeks," which would give Wong time to make a meaningful first impression in the Cardinals' minor league system, likely with the full-season Quad Cities River Bandits.
Previous Cardinals picks have taken longer to sign, particularly Cox, who lasted until near the deadline after falling to the Cardinals due to his demands for a Major League contract. The long delay left Cox to play just four games in 2010, spending a brief introductory stint in the Cardinals' lowest stateside affiliate, in the Gulf Coast League. Shelby Miller, the Cardinals' first-rounder in 2009, pitched just three innings that year.
The last Cardinals first-rounder to spend significant time in the system the same year was Brett Wallace, who appeared in 54 games and reached AA in 2008, hitting .337/.427/.530. Wallace, currently the Houston Astros' starting first baseman, was 21, a year older than Wong in his draft season.