Cardinals sign shortstop Aledmys Diaz

The St. Louis Cardinals have been wanting to expand their market into Cuba and Asia. Well, on Sunday afternoon they did just that by signing Cuban free agent shortstop Aledmys Diaz.  Diaz, 23, gets a four-year contract. The deal looks like it's worth $15-$20 million, even though there's no official word on the terms of the contract.

Lots of MLB teams scouted Diaz, who was suspended for a year after he lied about his age. In his last season in Cuba, he hit .315 with 12 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 270 at bats. There are teams who think that Diaz is better off playing second base. Diaz, views himself as a shortstop, but he can also play second base and third base. One of the things teams have liked about him most is the power that he is capable of producing when he's in a line-up. There are some mixed reports about his defense. That's one reason why there are teams who think he's better off playing second base in the long run. I guess the Cardinals will find out where he fits better. The Cardinals seem to do well with players who can play multi-positions.

In signing Diaz, the Cardinals get infield depth and maybe a starting shortstop for the future. He'll start out in the minors in 2014 and work his way up the the MLB. As of right now it looks like he'll be at double A Springfield or triple A Memphis. He'll be in Cardinals camp on Monday in Jupiter, FL. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny plans to get him in games right away to see where he is. The signing looks like it could be a win-win for both Diaz and the Cardinals.