ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals wasted little time in putting pen to paper. Right-hander Michael McGreevy, though, needed to make sure the name he was putting down was his.

Operating on little sleep, riding high from his first trip to Busch Stadium and staring at a flight to Florida on Saturday morning to join the rest of the 2021 Cardinals Draft picks, the club’s first-round pick out of UC Santa Barbara officially agreed to terms before the series opener against the Giants on Friday evening, after he said he had to ensure it was in fact his name he was signing, as well as printing those of his father and brother as witnesses.

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The Cardinals signed McGreevy to a bonus worth $2.75 million, MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis reported Sunday, approximately $750,000 less than the $3.48 million allotted for the 18th overall pick; St. Louis can use the remaining money to sign other Draft selections. The club has not confirmed the numbers.

“It feels real, but just hasn't sunk in yet,” McGreevy, dressed in a No. 21 white Cardinals jersey, said on the field. “Like even on Draft day, I thought I was going to cry and it just didn't happen. To be here today, it still just hasn't sunk in. It just feels surreal.”

“It's really a celebration,” said scouting director Randy Flores. “It's really a celebration only matched by the celebration of when he makes his way here to Busch Stadium and pitches in front of these fans.”

McGreevy, a San Clemente, Calif., native, was taking in Busch Stadium for the first time on Friday, around for batting practice and meeting some of his possible future teammates for the first time.

On Saturday, he’ll head to the club’s Spring Training complexes in Jupiter, Fla., begin some of the intake process and ramp himself up to pitch for an affiliate, which will be determined at a later date. McGreevy hasn’t pitched since the regionals of the College World Series in June.

But the fact that he’s a college arm, with three years on his resume including over 100 innings coming off the pandemic-abrupted NCAA season, has the Cardinals confident his adjustment to the next level can come efficiently.

Until then, though, McGreevy will take in some more of the city. He’s already gotten a taste of toasted ravioli after his father ordered them for lunch, indulged in a gooey butter cake and gandered at the Arch. Call it a St. Louis-inspired haze of emotions -- also unaided by the humidity -- when he actually put pen to paper on Friday afternoon.

“I actually didn't really look at the numbers,” McGreevy laughed. “I just wanted to make sure I didn't mess up the signature or anything like that, just make sure I got the date right, spelled my brother, dad, mom's name right.”

Mozeliak takes stock of the market

No matter how the Cardinals approach the July 30 Trade Deadline, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak was blunt: “We have to play better, pitch better, hit better. And if we do that, we think we have a good team.”

Timing may complicate the Cardinals' hopes for being a bona fide buyer at the Trade Deadline two weeks away, though, entering the second half two games under .500, eight games back of the first-place Brewers and 7 1/2 back of the second Wild Card spot.

But Mozeliak does not think of his team to be sellers.

“I would find it very hard for us to get to that point,” Mozeliak said. “First off, our roster isn't really set up that way. Probably some of the players that would have the most interest [from other teams] are players we see as part of our future. So I would highly doubt we're going to go down the path of where we're just hoping to move to move.”

Would a more accurate assessment be if the Cardinals are waiting to see if they should approach the Trade Deadline as buyers or holders?

“I think that’s well said,” Mozeliak said.

Bird droppings

• Left-hander Brandon Waddell, who was optioned to Triple-A Memphis to allow T.J. McFarland to join the big league roster, was placed on the COVID-related IL in the Minors. Mozeliak said that Waddell tested positive for the virus and is experiencing some mild symptoms.

• In addition to McGreevy, the Cardinals announced on Wednesday that they came to terms with four other members of the 2021 Draft class, including left-hander Alfredo Ruiz (sixth round, Long Beach State), whom McGreevy knows well as a former teammate from a summer league in Utah.

Also signed: outfielder Michael Antico (eighth round, Texas), right-hander Trent Baker (ninth round, Angelo State) and third baseman Osvaldo Tovalin (10th round, Azusa Pacific). Teams have until Aug. 1 to sign their Draftees.