DOWNTOWN — The St. Louis Cardinals broke with one tradition when they took a high school pitcher with their first pick in the draft, and now they must be willing to break with another to get their pick into the system.

Shelby Miller, a strapping righthander with a Texas-oil-burning fastball, has committed to Texas A&M and VP/farm director Jeff Luhnow acknowledges that it will not be easy or quick to finalize an agreement with the Brownwood, Texas, high schooler. The Cardinals have been an obedient team when it comes to following the slot bonus-system quietly passed around by Major League Baseball for draft picks, but Miller is the kind of player that could — and certainly will — command more than the players immediately around him.

“We’re willing to take a player and a gamble that we can get him signed,” Luhnow said just moments ago here at Busch Stadium. “The talent was the best talent available on the board. …

“It’s no slam dunk that we are going to sign him quickly or sign him at all. We want to make a best effort to sign him.”

Cardinals' first-round pick Shelby Miller, RHP, from Brownwood, Texas. (Courtesy: ESPN.com)

Miller, 18, is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound righthander from a small town three hours outside Dallas. According to a blend of scouting reports — including the Cardinals’, from Luhnow, and Baseball America and others –  Miller 90 mph to 97 mph and sits regularly at 92 mph to 93 mph. Luhnow called his fastball “electric” for its lateral and downward movement. Though a few scouting reports have him pegged as a high-ball pitcher because of the overpowering nature of his fastball.

The righthander has a developed curveball that he uses as a put-away pitch and a changeup that will have to be refined in the minors.

In 77 2/3 innings for Brownwood High this season, Miller struck out 153, walked 38 and alloed 38 hits. He went 10-2 during the season with a 2.00.

“He does look like a big-league pitcher already and has the stuff that should play up here,” Luhnow said.

Some reports from around the Web on Miller:

• A slide show on Shelby Miller. (Check out the number he’s wearing)
• Dallas Morning News looks at how the Texas Rangers eyed Miller.
• MiLB.com’s scouting report on Miller.
• Keith Law’s scouting report on Miller, complete with video at ESPN.com.
• Most mock drafts had Miller going 14th to Texas Rangers.

Area scout Ralph Garr Jr. was the point man for the intelligence gathering on Miller, and over the course of the past year has spent time gauging not only Miller’s talent on the mound but his work ethic and personality off the mound. Luhnow was poker-faced about what the team knows concerning Miller’s signability. A year ago, 13th-overall pick Brett Wallace said himself that he wanted to sign and get playing, erasing even the hint of signability trouble for him.

Ditto with all of the other first-round picks under Luhnow’s watch.

In 2005, the Cardinals had deals in place with Colby Rasmus and Tyler Greene before selecting them at 28th and 30th overall, respectively.

Luhnow said no such deal is in place with Miller. Not only is Miller committed to a college program — a major college program — but he is … CLARIFIED: also of an age that he would be sophomore eligible, Luhnow said. … (This fact has been cross-checked and it is not the case, though the Cardinals originally said so. Miller would next be eligible for 2012 draft.) …  The Cardinals, meanwhile, would get the 19th pick in next year’s draft if they don’t sign Miller but would also go the first 66 picks of the 2009 draft without a player.

Luhnow said they team would supplement the missing picks with international signings or late-round overspends. But that was premature talk.

“We’ve had quick signings the last couple years, and this is probably not one of them,” Luhnow said. He added about drafting a prep pitcher that could take awhile to develop: “We have a chance to be patient here without a pressing need to get him to the big leagues in the next two years.”

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