UNC senior right-handed pitcher Gianluca Dalatri agreed to sign a contract as an undrafted free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, just days after the conclusion of the 2020 MLB Draft.

Injuries have limited the 6-foot-6-inch Dalatri, who did not pitch for the Tar Heels in 2020 and was hampered for most of the 2018 and 2019 seasons. As a freshman in 2017, he compiled 7-3 record, a 3.34 ERA and 85 strikeouts across a team-high 97 innings.

This year’s MLB Draft was shortened to just five rounds due to the ongoing pandemic and baseball’s current labor dispute.  Under typical circumstances, the draft goes on for 40 rounds.

Teams were instead allowed to sign an unlimited number of undrafted free agents after those five rounds, under contracts worth $20,000.

The only UNC player selected in the 2020 MLB Draft was sophomore designated hitter Aaron Sabato, who was selected in the first round (27th overall) by the Minnesota Twins.

 

 

 

Photo via UNC Athletics

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