TOWER GROVE — A couple summers ago, a young shortstop was available in the June draft that fit so many of the “buckets” that the St. Louis Cardinals look for in a high pick. He played a premium position. He played a position of some need for the team. He had strong, reliable numbers in a major NCAA conference, and his stats projected well through the metrics the Cardinals use help identify future performance. He…

DOWNTOWN — The St. Louis Cardinals finalized the fine print on a contract with their second-round pick Robert Stock, a catcher (and could-be pitcher) from Southern Cal, and the club announced his deal and contracts with two other picks Wednesday afternoon.

The Cardinals also finished deals with righthanded reliever Joe Kelly (UC-Riverside), the team’s third-round pick (98th overall), and shortstop Ryan Jackson (Miami), the team’s fifth-round pick.

As reported in the Post-Dispatch over the weekend, the Cardinals had an agreement…