The answer is yes, they could.
There are 30 organizations fighting for the same players. Not every team can win every one they try to sign in what is a very challenging market.
Two years ago, the Cards gave signing bonuses of almost $10 million to just five players – Machado, Oviedo, Victor Garcia, Arozarena and Adolis Garcia. To put that into perspective, that is more than they spent on the entire 2018 draft (38 players signed).
Time will tell who pans out and who doesn’t.
To date, the best hitter to ever come out of the Cards’ international program signed for $145,000. I am betting Oscar Taveras did not make the top international prospect lists that year. Their big name signee that year was a third baseman who got $1.1 million but flamed out fast – Roberto De La Cruz.
After De La Cruz, the aborted Wagner Mateo deal ($3.1 MM) and Carlos Martinez ($1.5 MM ) the next year, the Cards went seven more years without another $1 million signing – the aforementioned 2016 group.
Personally, I don’t attach a lot of significance to international prospect lists. How many scouts can see all of these kids spread all over multiple countries and accurately project their skills at 16 years old to the majors? That has to be really, really difficult with a lot of room for errors.