The Cardinals have agreed to terms with outfielder Dylan Carlson, who was taken the the team’s first of two compensation selections, per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter). Carlson gets $1.35MM, which falls $550,500 shy of the bonus allocation that came with the 33rd overall pick.
By adding Carlson at a slightly reduced rate, St. Louis will save some cash to re-allocate to other picks. Notably, the Cards added the falling high schooler Delvin Perez with its first overall selection, and then went on to pick college righties Dakota Hudson, Connor Jones, and Zac Gallen.
In Carlson, the Cards add a player who had been ticketed for Cal State Fullerton. Baseball America was highest on him among draft evaluators, rating him 92nd. With high grades for makeup and praise for the way his raw athleticism plays on the field, Carlson appears to be ticketed for a corner outfield spot as a pro. The switch-hitter still has some strength to add to his frame and appears to have solid tools in most areas. Carlson took the very last spot on the top-100 list of ESPN.com’s Keith Law.