Zack

Cox

Mujica is a fairly reliable right-handed reliever, but this is a nice get for the Fish. Cox was the Cardinals’ first-round pick in 2010 out of the University of Arkansas and had a nice showing at Double-A in 2011 before leveling off at the Triple-A level this season. There’s still reason for optimism with the 23-year-old infielder.

Acquired from the Cardinals in the Edward Mujica deal, Cox hit only .254/.301/.409 with 10 homers between Double- and Triple-A this season. He should be bumped back up to Triple-A to start next year.

Acquired from the Cardinals last season for Edward Mujica, Cox’s prospect status has faded greatly the last couple season. He’s just 23, though, and could draw some interest on waivers.

Cox was a first-round pick of the Cardinals in 2010, so it says a lot about his prospect status that he was able to pass through waivers unclaimed. The 23-year-old batted just .254/.301/.409 with 10 homers between Double- and Triple-A last season.

The 27-year-old was a first round pick by the Cardinals in the 2010 draft but has never played in the majors. He has shown flashes of talent over the years but never hit with enough consistency to generate much prospect buzz. He hit .321/.393/.422 in Double-A with the Marlins in 2015 but had to settle for playing all of 2016 with an independent league team. He played well enough there to attract the interest of the Tigers and will take another shot with an affiliated minor league team.

Cox did not suffer a concussion and is expected to return to the Springfield starting lineup within a couple of days. The 22-year-old third baseman is off to a slow start since his promotion from Single-A Palm Beach, batting just .207/.290/.293 in 131 plate appearances. He was a first-round pick of the Cardinals last summer.

Cox is shaking off some rust, as he had played in just four games since signing with the Cardinals back in August. The Rafters probably shouldn’t be batting him third just yet.

The final number isn’t official, but Kendall Rogers of Yahoo! Sports reports that he will receive a $3.2 million signing bonus. Cox, 21, was regarded as one of the best college hitters in the draft, but he dropped to No. 25 due to signability issues. Now that the Cardinals have him locked up, he could arrive to the majors rather quickly, either at second base or third base.

A draft-eligible sophomore, Cox could be a tough sign, since he’d lose little leverage by returning to Arkansas for another year. That he didn’t go in the top 10 as expected would seem to increase the chances that he’ll head back to school. Cox has a promising left-handed bat that should allow him to hit for average and power. However, his defense at third base is rather rough and he might end up in the outfield.

A draft-eligible sophomore, Cox was known to be a tough sign, which is why he slipped to St. Louis with the 25th pick in the draft. “No because our first selection was part available to us because of some desires that other clubs weren’t willing to even consider,” Luhnow said when asked if a deal was getting close. “I think that one could be a lengthy process. …We knew that there was a disconnect between what most clubs probably had as a value and what the player was stating that he was wanting to come out as a sophomore, especially elite players at the top of the draft, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”