Continuing to put the finishing touches on an MLB Draft class lauded by many to be the best in baseball in 2026, the Cardinals signed 17-year-old prep shortstop Rocco Maniscalco and hard-throwing closer Cal Randall with what was left of their $16.6 million bonus pool on Tuesday.

Maniscalco, selected with the No. 50 overall pick of last week’s MLB Draft, signed with the Cardinals for a $3.2 million signing bonus – well over the $1.98 million slot for his draft position, per MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis. The Cardinals, led by Assistant GM/Director of Scouting Randy Flores, had to negotiate to create extra bonus money to keep Maniscalco – one of the youngest players drafted in team history – away from Mississippi State University and get him into their Minor League system.

That Cards also signed the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Randall to a full-slot deal of $501,300 for the No. 146th pick (fifth round), per Callis. Randall, a draft-eligible sophomore last season at UCLA, used his 100-mph fastball to save 14 games, win three others and compile 57 strikeouts in 31 innings of work.

The Cardinals, who had an MLB-most seven first-day picks, doled out MLB’s sixth-largest bonus pool of $16.6 million to players they hope will be a lifeblood of talent to the organization in the years to come.  

Maniscalco, who didn’t turn 17 years old until this past May 1 and reclassified to become draft eligible, is already ranked as the No. 21 prospect in the Cardinals’ Minor League system by Baseball America. The switch-hitting Maniscalco is the son of Matt Maniscalco, who reached Triple-A in the Rays Minor League system and a noted Travel Baseball manager in Alabama.

Two MLB Draftees Already Among Cards' Top 30 Prospects, per Baseball America 

Randall, a third-team All-Big-10 selection in 2026 for the Bruins, is ranked at No. 30 among Cardinals’ prospects by Baseball America. Because of his size, explosive fastball and maturity as a pitcher, Randall is expected to move quickly throughout the club’s chain and potentially could be the first member from the Cards’ 2026 draft class to reach the big leagues.

The Cardinals signed Georgia high school outfielder Trevor Condon (No. 13 pick) and University of Tennessee right-handed pitcher Tegan Kuhns (No. 32) over the weekend. Per sources, the Cards landed Condon with a $5.1 million deal, saving them $500,000 in bonus money to use on Maniscalco. UCF outfielder Andrew Williamson (No. 72) signed for a full-slot deal of $1.285 million, but the Cards inked West Virginia University right-hander Dawson Montesa ($850,000) and Texas Tech outfielder Caden Ferraro ($800,000) to deals well below their slot values, per multiple sources. That $468,100 dollars in savings were put toward the signing of Maniscalco.

MLB scouts first noticed the 6-foot-2, 192-pound Maniscalco – then a high school freshman – while monitoring Carter Johnson, an eventual second-round pick by the Marlins in 2024. On the 80/20 scale, Maniscalco earned a 65 for his arm strength and a 60 for his fielding prowess, per MLB Pipeline. Overall, he was given a 50 rating as he was considered one of the nation’s top high school players available for the MLB Draft.

Questions persist about the hitting abilities of Maniscalco, a switch-hitter who is much more adept as a left-handed hitter. MLB Pipeline gave him a 45 hit tool rating and a 50 power rating on the 80/20 scale. Because of his physical maturity, Maniscalco has been compared to 2025 top pick, shortstop Eli Willits, who also reclassified in high school to get to pro ball quicker.

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