Short three draft picks, the St. Louis Cardinals are expected to make a big push for Cuban prospect Luis Robert.
The Cardinals and the White Sox are getting most of the attention from media reports regarding Robert's possible destination. The 19-year-old old outfielder will be eligible to sign on Saturday and is expected to sign that day.
Ben Badler of Baseball America mentioned those two teams as the favorites for Robert in a report on Thursday.
"The club that signs Robert will be the team with the owner who is willing to write the biggest check," Badler wrote. "There’s a chance one of the other teams already over their pool could sign Robert, but right now, the evidence points to the Cardinals and White Sox as the favorites."
The Cardinals may be more desperate to write that big check and land a prospect of Robert's status considering they are already down their first three picks in the June draft. Signing Dexter Fowler from the Cubs cost the Cardinals their first-round pick. They also forfeited two picks in the as a penalty for the Astros database scandal. The Cardinals first pick in the draft will be at No. 94.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo! also reported that the Sox and Cards are the two favorites. Passan included information about the money being spent, reporting that the bids are expected to be more than $20 million. Current White Sox prospect Yoan Moncada signed for $31.5 million when he signed with the Red Sox.
White Sox general manager Rick Hahn previously said the chase for Robert was going to be "robust bidding." The White Sox were among the teams that held a private workout for Robert.