St. Louis Cardinals: Four more draft picks have signed

The St. Louis Cardinals have come to terms with four more selections from the 2018 draft. This brings the signing total up to 32 of the players taken by the team.

Today’s group of St. Louis Cardinals signees contains two pitchers, a lefty and a righty, along with two hitters. Each of the four are college players. Late round signings may not be as glamorous at the bigger names of the early rounds, but there is still some talent to be had.

There are also some bloodlines in there as well. It is a good group, and the Cardinals are cleaning up from this years draft picks. So, let’s meet the new guys.

Colin Schmid

In the 13th round of the 2018 draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Colin Schmid. He is a southpaw out of Appalachian State. His two best pitches are a fastball that can touch 90, and a changeup. If he develops a third pitch, his strike throwing ability could allow him to be a starter, but his two pitch mix could give him a future in the bullpen as well.

This is the second lefty pitcher taken in a row in the 13th round by the Cardinals, following last year’s selection of Jacob Patterson. An example of some talent coming out of the round is Matt Carpenter back in 2009.

Parker Kelly

If you recognize the last name, it is because Parker Kelly is the brother of catching heir-apparent, Carson Kelly. This brother, however, is a right handed hurler out of Oregon. The Cardinals were able to snag him in the 20th round of the draft. This is the second time St. Louis selected him. In 2015, Parker was the 34th round pick, but obviously did not sign.

There is not a clear example of value coming out of the 20th round for Redbirds in recent years. That being said, that means they are due. With his brother being a catcher at a high level, that could give him an advantage in development.

Michael Perri

One round later in 2018, the St. Louis Cardinals took Michael Perri. This is the first hitter in this group of four, a shortstop out of the University of San Francisco. College bats are generally more advanced, and infielders are subject to move around in development. So, we will see how his career shakes out.

During the same year the Cardinals drafted Carpenter in the 13th round, they found value in the 21st. Trevor Rosenthal was selected by the team in 2009 during the same round they took Perri.

Benito Santiago

The final signing is a catcher out of Tennessee in the 34th round. He hits from the left side of the plate. Coming out of high school, Perfect Game ranked him as the 11th best catcher in the country for his graduating class.

This is another tough round for MLB talent, historically. But, it is the same round that the Cardinals drafted Parker Kelly back in 2015. As always, the optimist in me will say that they are due for some success from the round.

Signing Success

The Cardinals have signed, or come to terms with, a lot of their picks so far. That is a good thing. It can be hard to sign players sometimes. As with these four, college players are generally easier to sign than high schoolers who have committed to play in college.

Next: Five players that could make the Cardinals contenders

Drafts can be very exciting, but picks mean nothing if they do not sign. The St. Louis Cardinals have secured a lot of their excitement thus far. Now, it is up to the signees to perform.