Cardinals sign second-round Draft selection Oscar Mercado
Team also announces six other signings
ST. LOUIS, Mo., June 17, 2013 - The St. Louis Cardinals today announced the signing of shortstop Oscar Mercado, the team's 2nd round selection (57th player overall) in the 2013 June First-Year player draft. The Cardinals also reached agreement with five other draftees and a non-drafted free-agent.
Mercado, considered one of the top prep shortstops in this year's draft, batted .286 this season for Gaither High School in Tampa, Fla. The 6-2, 175-pound right-handed hitting Mercado, who was born in Colombia, had a verbal commitment with Florida State University.
"To sign one of the best, if not the best, shortstops in amateur baseball is something that we are all really excited about," said Cardinals Scouting Director Dan Kantrovitz. "Oscar embodies what it means to be a Cardinal both on and off the field and should be a great ambassador for our organization for years to come. Our scouts Charlie Gonzalez and Fernando Arango have followed Oscar for the last couple of years and deserve a lot of credit."
In addition to Mercado, the other draftees signed today include outfielder Ricardo Bautista (12th round, Ladislao Martinez P.R., H.S.), outfielder D'Andre Asbury-Heath (15th round, Brookland-Cayce H.S.), shortstop Michael Schulze (19th round, Missouri Western), outfielder Anthony Ray (36th round, St. Rita, H.S.) and pitcher Arturo Reyes (40th round, Gonzaga University). The team also announced the signing of non-drafted free-agent Brandon Lee, a right-handed pitcher from the University of South Carolina.