St. Louis Cardinals Sign RHP Dakota Hudson, Lock Up Entire First Round Class
The St. Louis Cardinals have signed their third first-round pick, meaning that their entire first-round class has been signed just one week after the draft.
The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Saturday that they’ve signed righthanded pitcher Dakota Hudson to a minor-league contract. Hudson, who had a 2.55 ERA in 17 starts for Mississippi State this year, was the 34th overall pick in last week’s MLB Draft, having been selected with the pick that the Cardinals acquired when Jason Heyward left to sign with the Chicago Cubs.
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Hudson. the only Cardinals first-rounder who had yet to sign. With shortstop Delvin Perez, outfielder Dylan Carlson, and Hudson now in the fold, the Cardinals have all three of their 2016 first-rounders under contract, just nine days after they were all selected. Hudson received a $2 million-dollar bonus which, as expected, was above the projected slot value of $1,878,000. With Perez having signed at slot value and Carlson having agreed to take roughly half a million less than he was allotted at pick 33, the Cardinals will have some extra money available to try and lock up their last two unsigned picks from the first 10 rounds, Virginia RHP Connor Jones (Round 2) and North Carolina righty Zac Gallen (Round 3).
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Though Hudson will likely get his feet wet in rookie ball, he has a good shot at pitching for Short-Season State College this season, and if he moves as quickly as some of the Cardinals’ other recent college first-rounders, he could end up with a full-season club by the end of the year.