The St. Louis Cardinals and first-round draft pick Steve Bean are close to a deal, according to Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Bean is a Texas high school catcher the Cardinals took with their last of five first-round draft picks at 59th overall. MLB's slot for Bean is $870,600.
The reviews for Bean aren't high, ESPN's Keith Law said he "looks like a probable backup receiver" which isn't exactly the upside you want to take with a first-round draft pick. ESPN's Jason Churchill was kinder, noting he has an intriguing left-handed bat. Baseball America ranked Bean as the 66th best player in the draft.
The Cardinals have signed one of their other first-round draft picks in Patrick Wisdom, but the other three remain unsigned. The club is "eager" to sign Texas A&M righthander Michael Wacha and the other two draft picks (Stanford's Stephen Piscotty and Florida State's James Ramsey) can't negotiate deals until their seasons are finished.