Cardinals Accept Risk And Reward With Perez

ST. LOUIS—After the report of a positive drug test sent the talented shortstop Delvin Perez tumbling in the first round, the Cardinals used their 23rd pick to give the teenager a second chance.

Perez, who doesn’t turn 18 until November, was considered a possible top-five-overall talent entering the draft. On the eve of what could been a coronation, a positive drug test became public knowledge, and the Cardinals would confirm that the young Puerto Rican had tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

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With that concern and the lack of a college commitment, Perez fell. Considering the Cardinals rarely have a crack at top-10 talent, the pick was arguably the gutsiest and riskiest with the most upside they’ve seen in decades, and all of that from first-time scouting director Randy Flores.

“Let’s be honest here: He was going to be picked,” general manager John Mozeliak said. “Someone is going to have to answer questions on this, but the history and what you deal with in baseball, it’s not something we are running from. We really feel like giving him an opportunity is the right move here.”

A product of the International Baseball Academy in Ceiba, P.R., Perez drew some obvious comparisons with Carlos Correa, his countryman. Though not as polished as Correa at the same age, Perez has the size (6-foot-3, 165 pounds) and quick-twitch athleticism that hint at what he can become.

Perez also is expected to stay at shortstop as he advances. His arm strength stands out from other shortstops in his draft class, and he’s a plus runner, which would be expected from an infielder with his swift first step.

Offensively, he’s project.

Baseball America called him “one of the biggest risk-reward players in the class,” and that was before the drug test. The Cardinals believe they can sign Perez quickly, and they plan to have him involved in counseling and integrated into their in-house Cardinal Core curriculum.

Officials went to chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. for the OK to make the pick, and they did so recognizing the controversy and questions they would invite. They felt they had a good understanding of the young player and his past.

“We moved for his future,” Flores said.

REDBIRD CHIRPS

• Three months after he signed a $25.5 million extension to be a fixture at second for the Cardinals, Kolten Wong was optioned to Triple-A Memphis in an attempt to help him rediscover his swing. A first-round pick in 2011, he struggled in St. Louis this season with four extra-base hits and a sub-.230 average. In his Triple-A debut, he homered twice, one of which was a walk-off grand slam.

• The Cardinals played more to type with their final two picks of the first day of the draft, picking solid college righthanders with the 34th and 70th picks. Mississippi State’s Dakota Hudson, who could be a reliever or starter as he ascends the pro ranks, went off the board at the end of the first round, while Virginia’s Connor Jones, who is straight out of central casting for the Cardinals with reliable command and a sharp, off-speed pitch, closed out the second round.