The St. Louis Cardinals have officially signed first round draft pick Michael Wacha for $1.9 million, reports Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
The 6' 6" right-hander out of Texas A&M completed his first professional contract during a visit to Busch Stadium on Thursday. Wacha agreed to his nearly $2 million bonus, the recommended amount for his draft slot, before getting a tour of the ballpark and meeting several players:
Chosen 19th overall in this month's First-Year Player Draft, Wacha followed the signing with a ballpark tour in which he watched batting practice from the field and met several current players and coaches. That included manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Derek Lilliquist, who joked that he was ready to watch Wacha pitch this afternoon.
Armed with a three-pitch arsenal that includes 90-93mph fastball and a change-up that Baseball America called "the best in the draft", Wacha went 9-1 with a 2.06 ERA in 113 1/3 innings for Texas A&M this year as a junior.
Wacha will begin his professional career when he reports to the Gulf Coast League in Florida next week, with the hopes that he will graduate to the Cardinals' high-A team some time this year.
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