Top pick Perez gets good reviews, closes in on deal with Cards – STLtoday.com
Houston Astros wunderkind Carlos Correa went to a ballgame in Puerto Rico not too long ago to see his younger brother play and left having gotten an eyeful of another teen he said is the next top talent coming from the island.
Correa watched as Cardinals first-round pick Delvin Perez dazzled in the field and doubled against Jean Carlos Correa’s team. One player was family.
The other was familiar.
“He’s got a lot of talent,” Correa said Wednesday in the Astros’ clubhouse at Busch Stadium when asked about Perez. “He reminded me of myself when I was in high school. He’s the closest player coming out of Puerto Rico playing the same position with a similar skill set. He looks like a special player.”
The Cardinals and Perez’s agent intend to move closer to an agreement as soon as Thursday, when the 17-year-old infielder visits St. Louis. It’s possible he’ll take batting practice at Busch on Friday and join the parade of draft picks the Cardinals will complete deals with by the end of the weekend. The Cardinals announced the signings of 19 draft picks Wednesday, including 33rd overall pick Dylan Carlson.
The switch-hitting outfielder from Elk Grove (Calif.) High School took batting practice on the field Wednesday just minutes after formally signing his contract. He received a $1.35 million bonus. While below assigned slot for his spot in the draft, the bonus was larger than where he was expected to be drafted — in the third or fourth rounds. He fits into the Cardinals’ strategy. The Cardinals’ deals with eighth-rounder Sam Tewes, a pitcher from Wichita State, and ninth-rounder Matthew Fiedler, a two-way star at Minnesota, were also below slot, at $100,000. Those deals give the Cardinals greater room under their $9.1 million cap to pursue above-slot players, as some of the early-round picks could be.
Wearing No. 16 for his draft class, Carlson took swings against John Mabry from both sides of the plate. He’ll report to Jupiter, Fla., on Thursday and join the Cardinals’ Gulf Coast League roster.
“Ready to get started,” said Carlson, who had committed to Cal State-Fullerton.
“I think his youth requires time, just time,” said Randy Flores, the Cardinals’ director of scouting. “Let’s let him breathe for a few years and see where this stands.”
In addition to Carlson, Tewes and Fiedler, the Cardinals finalized agreements with five other picks from the first 15 rounds: Southern Cal catcher Jeremy Martinez (fourth round); Stanford shortstop Tommy Edman (sixth round); Western Kentucky third baseman Danny Hudzina (10th round); Wingate College outfielder Shane Billings (13th round); and Tennessee outfielder Vincent Jackson (14th round).
It’s not surprising Carlson is the only high school player signed at this point. Some of them will command beyond slot, chewing into the Cardinals’ bonus purse. The Cardinals viewed Carlson’s signing as one that would trigger and allow other deals.
The deadline for signing players is July 15.
Flores said in the next week to 10 days the club will have a feel for all of its draft picks and whether deals are possible.
Only 21, Correa was the first overall pick of the 2012 draft, and he has personified the Astros’ reboot. Correa hit 22 homers and drove in 68 runs with a .512 slugging percentage to win last year’s American League Rookie of the Year. Due to their similar background at the time of the draft – Puerto Rico, shortstop, teenagers, and 6-foot-3 or taller, lanky – Perez has been compared to Correa. Perez has further to go offensively than Correa did at the same age. A top-10 talent that could have commanded a bonus of $3.4 million or greater, according to slots, Perez slipped to the Cardinals, and their $2.2-million slot, due to a positive test for a performance-enhancing drug.
He’s considered a gifted defensive player, and both his representative and the Cardinals want to get him into the pro environment and playing soon.
“He has the ability to play at the big-league level at some point,” Correa said. “He’s going to be a good one.”
MOLINA LEADS ALL-STAR VOTE
The Cardinals’ Gold Glove-winning catcher Yadier Molina maintained his slim lead in the fan vote to start the All-Star Game next month. Giants catcher Buster Posey trails Molina, 933,300 to 856,013, according to the latest vote totals released by Major League Baseball on Wednesday.
Molina is the only Cardinal currently leading his position.
Four members of the Chicago Cubs – Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Kris Bryant and Dexter Fowler – not only lead their positions but are in a virtual dead heat for the overall-vote lead. Voting continues online at MLB.com through June 30.
Although he’s moved to second base in the past week, Matt Carpenter has gained ground at third base in the voting. He’s third but has 1.2 million fewer votes that Bryant. The Cardinals’ write-in campaign for rookie Aledmys Diaz has not yet put him in the top five at his position, and second-year outfielder Stephen Piscotty is 11th at his position. Matt Holliday is 12th.
EXTRA BASES
Cardinals starter Lance Lynn (elbow surgery) threw in the bullpen for officials Tuesday at Busch Stadium and has been with the team during this homestand. Lynn’s recovery from Tommy John surgery is expected to take most of the season, and Matheny said the righthander has “got a long way to go.” … Some of the Astros utilized the batting cages adjacent to the Cardinals’ clubhouse to warm up Wednesday because the batting cages on their side of the field were flooded, according to a coach. … Seth Maness officially reported to Class AAA Memphis to continue his rehab assignment. Catcher Brayan Pena has also been moved to the Triple-A roster for his rehab. … The Cardinals signed undrafted free agent Levi MaVorhies of Kansas State. The righthander, who had an abbreviated junior season because of an injury, went 6-5 with a 4.20 ERA, and he struck out 76 batters in 83 3/2 innings.
