The Cardinals signed third-round pick C.J. McElroy on Tuesday for $510,000, the highest bonus outside of the first two rounds so far this year. McElroy, who had the leverage of a football scholarship to play wide receiver at Houston, received a bonus well in excess of MLB's $284,400 recommendation for the 109th overall choice.

An outfielder from Clear Creek High in League City, Texas, McElroy draws comparisons to Michael Bourn for his plus-plus speed and defensive prowess in center field. He shows a knack for recognizing pitches and handling quality velocity, so his bat is promising as well. He rushed for 1,523 yards and accounted for 28 touchdowns as a high school senior, and he also finished seventh at the Texas 5-A track meet in the long jump. His father Chuck pitched for nine teams in 13 major league seasons.