Cardinals News: Everything you need to know about the 2024 MLB Draft

The bulk of conversations this past month around baseball have revolved around the trade deadline. That's logical, as the deadline presents teams an opportunity to add or prepare for the future.

However, the 2024 MLB Draft is actually the next big item on the baseball calendar. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming MLB Draft.

Where and when is the draft?

This year, the MLB Draft will take place from July 14-16th in Fort Worth, Texas. The first round starts at 6:00 P.M. CT on Sunday the 14th.

How can I follow the draft?

The draft will be broadcast on MLB Network throughout the weekend. The first round of the draft will also air on ESPN. You can track the picks here.

The best way to follow the draft though as a Cardinals fan is by joining the Dealin' the Cards MLB Draft Livestream, where they will be breaking down each of the picks as they happen while bringing on special guests to talk about the Cardinals' selection. Their live stream begins at 5:45pm CT and will run through the first ten picks.

How many picks do the St. Louis Cardinals have this year?

The Cardinals have just 4 picks in the first 5 rounds this year. They lost their second-round choice due to the signing of Sonny Gray this offseason. Gray was given a qualifying offer by his previous team, the Minnesota Twins. The cost of signing him was losing international draft money and forfeiting a draft pick this year. The team's first pick will come 7th overall, and they won't draft again until the 80th pick.

Who will head the draft for the Cardinals?

Randy Flores, the team's Assistant General Manager and Director of Scouting will take the lead once again in the draft room. He's been the team's Director of Scouting since August of 2015, so this will be his 9th draft with the organization. Jeff Ishii, the Special Assistant to Scouting Director and Professional Scout, will also play a major role this year.

The Cardinals haven't had a pick as high as 7th overall since 1998 when they selected J.D. Drew 5th overall. Drafting this high will be a first for Flores. He's excelled when picking late in drafts, especially in 2018 when his group chose Nolan Gorman, Lars Nootbaar, and Brendan Donovan and in 2020 when the team drafted Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson, Masyn Winn, and Tink Hence.

Katie Woo of The Athletic (subscription required) spoke with Flores about this supreme pick and how he'll handle it. It's a new experience for Flores and his team, so they're approaching this in a very "deliberate" way.

Who could the Cardinals draft with their top pick?

There are obviously a number of available players when choosing so early in the draft. Josh Jacobs discussed 7 players in great detail last month, but names that have been connected to the Cardinals by reporters include shortstop J.J. Wetherholt, right-handed pitcher Chase Burns, left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith, and high school shortstop Bryce Rainer.