Cardinals Conclude 2024 Draft with 10 Picks

photo: Jon Jon Gazdar (Austin Peay Athletics)

On Tuesday, July 16, the St. Louis Cardinals are making their final 10 selections in the third day of the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, covering rounds 11-20.

Though fewer observers pay attention to Day 3 selections compared to the first 10 rounds, the reality is that good major leaguers have been sourced from these picks. In fact, the Cardinals have been especially successful over the years finding talent in round 11 and later.

Note that the Cardinals would be required to use a portion of their $10,213,000 pool allocation from rounds 1-10 to cover any harder-to-sign any Day 3 selections who receive more than $150,000 in signing bonus.

It remains to be seen if the Cardinals go down this path in 2024, as they did not in either 2022 or 2023. But in 2021, they spent an extra $175,000 to sign 11th round shortstop Mack Chambers and 12th round pitcher Chris Gerard. (Neither remain in the system today.)

There is another belt-tightening factor in 2024, as well. Given the loss of the second-round selection and its associated slot money, coupled with the rumored overslot bonus required to sign first rounder J.J. Wetherholt, the Cardinals seem to have very little cap flexibility to overspend anywhere else. That certainly seemed to be the case during Day 2.

Specifically, with the signing of Sonny Gray during the off-season, the Cards forfeited their second-round spot and associated cap spending of over $2.225 million. These factors leave them less opportunity to reallocate money to overpay selected Day 3 picks.

On Days 1 and 2 of the 2024 Draft, the Cardinals focused exclusively on college players, using all nine of their picks there. Of the nine collegians added to date, just one is a senior, taken in the 10th round.

The lack of financial leverage that goes with having a smaller that average (ranked 17th) overall bonus pools is a big reason why the Cardinals have not yet selected a high schooler in this draft. If they want to go after such a higher upside, higher risk teenager at all, it could be in the early rounds of Day 3.

Draft recap

In the 20 rounds, the Cardinals took 19 players – six right-handed pitchers, three lefties, two catchers, six infielders (four shortstops and two third basemen) and two outfielders.

The team selected one high schooler and one junior college player. Among the 17 collegians taken are 10 juniors, six seniors (including five taken during Day 3) and one sophomore.

Randy Flores via Zoom, 07/16/24 (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

For the second consecutive day, scouting director Randy Flores was asked about the large number of under six-foot tall selections. He replied, “It’s not as if they are throwing 85-88 (mph). They have good velocity and performance.” Flores also noted the Cardinals were “looking for value.”

That led to another value-related question. I asked Flores about the predominance of seniors, which represent just under one-third of the Cardinals’ selections. That is more than usual and can be a signal of a club looking to conserve signing bonus money.

Flores responded that the 2024 class includes the “last remnants of COVID” and the associated extra year of eligibility they received. He also wondered if NIL and transfer flexibility were factors.

Flores said he would have to look at the makeup of other teams’ selections to answer whether the Cardinals took more seniors than other organizations. He did make it clear that it was “not an intentional strategy” to target seniors but they wanted to “draft guys who are ready to play.”

Overall, Flores said he expected “more certainty” in the draft because the Cardinals were drafting in the top third vs. their usual bottom third placement. However, that did not turn out to be the case.

Flores closed by noting that his scouts have already scattered “with all eyes moved toward the 2025 draft.”

The Cardinals now have 16 days to get as many of these 19 drafted players signed as their budget will allow, with the deadline of August 1. The signed players will be turned over to Gary LaRocque and the Player Development function.

For more

Click on each player’s headshot photo to be taken to his player profile page here at The Cardinal Nation, with additional information.

To reference the Cardinals’ new draft class on an ongoing basis, each player will have a profile located on a holding team called “DRAFT PLAYERS UNSIGNED”. This can be accessed at the bottom of the drop-down menu in the red column in the left menu called “ROSTERS/PLAYERS/MOVES” or click here.

St. Louis Cardinals Select Eight in Day 2 of 2024 Draft

Cardinals Select J.J. Wetherholt on 2024 MLB Draft’s First Day

As Tuesday progresses from afternoon into evening, this article will be updated as picks are made and information added, so please check back often.

St. Louis’ 2024 Day 3 selections

11th round, 321st overall 
Jon Jon Gazdar, shortstop
Austin Peay State University (TN), senior
5’11/180 pounds
Bats/Throws: R/R
Hometown: Walnut Creek, CA

Jon Jon Gazdar

Gazdar played at Chabot (CA) College in 2022 before moving to Austin Peay for 2023-2024. In his freshman season, he appeared in 38 games, batting .325 with 12 doubles, 22 RBI, and 33 runs scored with 18 stolen bases.

He competed in 2023 and 2024 for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod League. Between his two summers in the Cape, Gazdar’s average dropped from .361 to .314, but he raised his slugging by 30 points, leading to an improvement in OPS from .842 to .872.

For Austin Peay in 2024, Gazdar batted .405 (10th in Division 1) with 13 home runs and 55 RBI. He only struck out 14 times vs. 27 walks taken.

Over his two seasons at Austin Peay, he slashed .359/.443/.570/1.013 with 45 doubles, 16 home runs, 90 RBI, and 106 runs scored in 113 games.

Gazdar draws raves for his contact rate but has below average power. He is an above average runner and could become a versatile defensive performer.

Flores was pleased that Gazdar was available in the 11th round, noting he “makes contact and can impact the ball.”  Cardinals scouts like the “freedom in his swing” and his “good velocity he showed in the Cape.”

12th round, 351st overall

Ian Petrutz, outfield
University of Alabama, junior
6’0/210 pounds
Bats/Throws: L/L
Hometown: Mantua, New Jersey

Ian Petrutz

Ian Petrutz (University of Alabama Athletics)

Petrutz spent his first two years at the University of Maryland and joined Alabama for the 2024 campaign.

Petrutz led the Crimson Tide in OBP at .447 with 30 walks and 20 hit by pitches. He batted .321 with 14 doubles, six home runs and 40 RBI.

In his three years as a collegian, he hit .302 with 29 home runs and 131 RBI over 149 games.

13th round, 381st overall

Nolan Sparks, pitcher
University of Rochester (NY), senior
5’10/195 pounds
Bats/Throws: R/R
Hometown: Aurora, Colorado

Nolan Sparks

Nolan Sparks (University of Rochester Athletics)

Sparks is a four-year Division III pitcher with mid-90s fastball. He also competed for the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League.

Sparks is Rochester’s all-time leader in strikeouts, including 60 of his 248 Ks in 2024 (in 60 innings). In 10 starts this spring, Sparks was 4-2 with a 2.25 ERA.

He started all four years for the Yellowjackets with a career record of 19-5, a 3.06 ERA over 38 starts (43 appearances) over 209 innings, with 248 strikeouts and .234 opponent average against.

Sparks is a two-time Liberty League Pitcher of the Year and was First Team All-Liberty League in each of the last two seasons.

Flores said his scouts noted that Sparks “moves well on the mound”. He had “gains in stuff and velocity and his K rate spiked” in 2024, and Flores sees the potential for “continued development” by Sparks.

14th round, 411th overall

Mason Burns, pitcher
Western Kentucky University, senior
6’3/215 pounds
Bats/Throws: R/R
Hometown: Bloomington, Illinois

Mason Burns

Mason Burns (Western Kentucky Athletics)

In two years at Western Kentucky, Burns saved 19 games and struck out 118 hitters in 90 innings.

As a senior, Burns broke WKU’s single-season saves record and finished second in Division 1 with 15 saves in 28 appearances. He posted a 3-3 record with a 4.00 ERA while striking out 52 batters in 35 innings and with only 13 walks.

Burns played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Illinois State.

15th round, 441st overall

Sam Brodersen, pitcher
Louisiana Tech University, senior
6’1, 200 pounds
Bats/Throws: R/R
Hometown: Orlando, Florida

Sam Brodersen

Sam Brodersen (Wingate University Athletics)

Brodersen pitched first three seasons for Wingate University before moving to Louisiana Tech for 2024.

Brodersen and Wingate were the NCAA Division II National Champions in 2021. He won the national title game with five innings of no-hit relief. In 121 1/3 career IP with the Bulldogs (2021-2023), Brodersen went 10-3 with a 3.63 ERA and 164 strikeouts.

In 2022, Brodersen pitched for the Bluefield Ridge Runners of the Appalachian League, now a collegiate summer league. He appeared in just two games, yielding three runs in 2 2/3 innings on four hits, six walks and four strikeouts.

This spring at Louisiana Tech, Brodersen went 8-1 with a 3.05 ERA and 96 strikeouts and 40 walks in 56 innings. He held opponents to a collective .160 batting average. In Conference USA, he was First-Team All-Conference,

Brodersen features a four-seam fastball that can reach 97 mph and a plus slider, but he has below average control.

16th round, 471st overall

Deniel Ortiz, third baseman
Walters State Community College (TN), Juco 2
6’1/230 pounds
Bats/Throws: R/R
Hometown: Lynn, MA

Deniel Ortiz

In two seasons at Walters State, the Puerto Rico native hit .387 with 34 home runs and 116 RBI in 117 games. Ortiz drew 91 walks against 70 strikeouts.

The 19-year-old batted .321 in 26 games for the 2024 State College Spikes, a member of the MLB Draft League. The prior summer, he was an Appalachian League All-Star, leading the collegiate league with 10 home runs for Kingsport, and won the circuit’s Home Run Derby.

Flores commented that it is “challenging to scout at the Juco level” due to the wide variety in quality of play. The Cardinals like Ortiz’ exit velocity and that “he held his own playing against older players (in the Draft League).”

17th round, 501st overall

Brandt Thompson, pitcher
Missouri State University, senior
5’9/180 pounds
Bats/Throws: R/R
Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Brandt Thompson

Brandt Thompson (Missouri State University Athletics)

Thompson began his career with two seasons at North Iowa Area Community College, ranking eighth in school history with 112 career strikeouts.

This spring, Thompson started 16 games for Missouri State and went 5-2 with a 3.78 ERA and 75 strikeouts and 22 walks in 78 2/3 innings. He led the Missouri Valley Conference with a 1.16 WHIP, ranked second in ERA and third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.41) and opponent average (.234).

In his two seasons with the Bears, Thompson went 11-7 with 159 strikeouts and 49 walks in 162 innings and was an All-MVC conference selection both years (2023 and 2024).

Thompson also pitched this summer for the St. Cloud (MN) Rox of the collegiate Northwoods League. He posted a 3.00 ERA, struck out 30 and issued just two free passes in 24 innings.

18th round, 531st overall

Christian Martin, shortstop
Virginia Tech University, junior
5’10/185 pounds
Bats/Throws: L/R
Hometown: Amherst, Virginia

Christian Martin

Christian Martin (Virginia Tech University Athletics)

In 54 games for the Hokies this spring, Martin batted .313 with six home runs, 16 doubles, 36 RBI and seven stolen bases. In 130 career games at Virginia Tech, the lefty hitter had a .321 average with 10 home runs, 28 doubles and 65 RBI. He stole 16 bases in 24 tries.

Martin played for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League the last two summers. In 22 games in 2024, he slashed just .182/.400/.227/.627. Martin had four hits including a double, five walks and five strikeouts and played second base defensively.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/WTQ3TS6AjS5gQ47s/

19th round, 561st overall

Brendan Lawson, shortstop
P27 Academy (Lexington, Kentucky), high school senior
6’3/205 pounds
Bats/Throws: L/R
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Brendan Lawson

Brendan Lawson (Instagram)

Via the tweet below, posted during the afternoon on Tuesday, it appears that Lawson has reaffirmed his commitment to play collegiate ball for the University of Florida. Lawson relocated from Canada to South Carolina before his senior year of high school.

Lawson played for the Trenton Thunder in the 2024 MLB Draft League, posting a .344 average (11-for-32), with two RBI and a 12:10 BB:K ratio for a .533 OBP.

Flores said his scouts loved Lawson, especially his results this summer. The teen had been slowed this spring by illness and injury so “it was difficult to get a lot of looks at him.”

The 18-year-old prep star feels like a relief valve for the Cardinals in the very unlikely event that something goes wrong with signing first-rounder J.J. Wetherholt and the team has a lot of money left unspent. Most likely,  Lawson will not sign with the Cardinals and head to college next month.

The scouting director readily volunteered that it would be a “very long shot to sign” Lawson.

20th round, 591st overall

Owen Rice, pitcher
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, junior
6’6/230 pounds
Bats/Throws: L/L
Hometown: East Troy, Wisconsin

Owen Rice

Owen Rice (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Athletics)

At 6-foot-6, Rice is the tallest player selected by the Cardinals in the 2024 class. His numbers indicate both his ability to strike out batters and inability to avoid issuing free passes, hence his selection in the final round.

He appeared in 15 games (10 starts) for the Panthers during 2024, his second year with the program. Rice was third on the team with 51 strikeouts in 33 innings, but also walked 33. He posted a 6.27 ERA while holding opponents to a collective .242 batting average.

Rice pitched in seven games (five starts) during his first season at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, with a 4.76 ERA over 11 1/3 innings while striking out 14 and walking nine.

In summer ball with Burlington in the Prospect League in 2022, Rice logged a 5.19 ERA, 18 strikeouts and eight walks in 8 1/3 innings.

Rice began at McHenry County College in Illinois.

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