After they established themselves as a more active participant in the international market more than a decade ago, the Cardinals – through trial and error and several successes – shaped and developed strategies they’ve come to trust.
They like to spread the wealth and take advantage of time.
When this year’s international signing period opens Saturday, the Cardinals will be one of eight teams with the most money to spend, a purse of $6,262,200. The only NL Central team with the same limit is the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cardinals expect to finalize a deal with a top-30 catching prospect, Venezuela’s Luis Rodriguez, sources said before the lockout began.