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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