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St. Louis Cardinals Send Down Aledmys Diaz, Cut 5 Others from Spring Roster

By Patrick Karraker

Mar 16, 2016; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz (73) throws to first for the out against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2016; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz (73) throws to first for the out against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports /
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Just one day after acquiring Ruben Tejada, the Cardinals have jettisoned their previous presumptive starting shortstop.

On Saturday, the St. Louis Cardinals signed former New York Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada, throwing him into the competition to replace Jhonny Peralta while the injured 33-year-old recovers from a thumb injury. On Sunday, they optioned the player who seemed to be the previous leader in the clubhouse for that competition, 25-year-old Aledmys Diaz, to Triple-A, effectively ending his bid for an Opening Day roster spot. Infielder Dean Anna was also optioned to Triple-A, while catcher Carson Kelly and pitchers Austin Gomber, Jeremy Hefner, and Deck McGuire were reassigned to minor-league camp.

While Diaz never got the outright endorsement of GM John Mozeliak or manager Mike Matheny–obviously for good reason–most people who closely follow the team seemed to expect that he would prevail over Jedd Gyorko, who has played just 29 games professionally as a shortstop, in the competition for the big-league starting role. Though Diaz had a respectable 9-for-34 (.265) at the plate this spring, collecting a walk, three doubles, and five RBI, the Cardinals apparently feel that he’s not yet ready for primetime. That’s certainly understandable for Diaz, who went just 3-for-18 (.167) after a 4-for-4 performance on March 8. Diaz hit just .230 before the All-Star break in Double-A last year, and he really has just half a minor-league season to prove that he’s a viable offensive performer.

With Diaz and Anna, who got one big-league at-bat in 2015, removed from consideration for the Opening Day roster, it means that the race for the last bench spot is likely down to either infielder Greg Garcia or an extra outfielder. Late-blooming prospect Anthony Garcia and non-roster invitees Jeremy Hazelbaker and Carlos Peguero remain in major-league camp and are trying to prove their worth as potential backups for Randal Grichuk, Stephen Piscotty, Tommy Pham, Matt Holliday, and Brandon Moss.

Next: Cardinals Sign Ruben Tejada to One-Year Deal

Kelly, who is considered the potential heir apparent to Yadier Molina, will likely move up to Double-A and continue his ascension up the organizational ladder this season, looking to improve offensively after posting a disappointing .219/.263/.332 slash line in High-A last season. Hefner and McGuire, both six-year minor-league free agent acquisitions this offseason, are likely to join the pitching staff at Triple-A Memphis to begin the year. Meanwhile, Gomber, who is ranked as the organization’s number 17 prospect, appears destined for High-A Palm Beach after a strong first pro campaign at Low-A Peoria.

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