Drafted in the 5th round (172nd overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2007 (signed for $134,000).
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Cal Poly had a disappointing 2006 season despite a solid rotation that included third-rounder Gary Daley (Cardinals) and sixth-rounder Bud Norris (Astros). Eager stepped forward more than any other Mustang to replace them, emerging as the ace and surpassing both Daley and Norris in terms of performance. His 10 victories left him two shy of the school record, but despite his performance, most scouts see him profiling better as a middle reliever or even a closer. Eager's delivery resembles that of former "Nasty Boys" closer Rob Dibble, as he comes aggressively at hitters with his lead arm in an almost violent motion. If only he threw as hard as Dibble. The delivery creates some deception for his firm stuff, a 90-91 mph fastball that has hit 93 and features average sink, and a hard slider. Eager comes hard after hitters and doesn't change speeds much, which also feeds the Dibble comparison. He's fairly emotional on the mound, which works for him and against him at times.
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