Complex sentence: The St. Louis Cardinals selected Ankiel in the second round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft, and Ankiel signed with the Cardinals, receiving a $2.5 million signing bonus, the fifth-highest ever given to an amateur player.
Split into simpler sentences: The St. Louis Cardinals selected Ankiel in the second round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft. He received a $2.5 million signing bonus, the fifth-highest ever given to an amateur player.