SAN DIEGO • In the days that followed Mike Matheny’s first glimpse at the possible answer to a longstanding question for the Cardinals, the manager would compare Aledmys Diaz, this young Cuban shortstop the club signed, to Yankees great Derek Jeter.
He understood the overstatement and explained that he didn’t mean Diaz’s bat or Diaz’s arm or even Diaz’s potential. Matheny was describing Diaz’s body language. He copied how Jeter stood at shortstop. He ambled like Jeter, projected a confidence like Jeter. Diaz’s arm strength and bat life would determine whether he reached the majors, let alone excelled there, but for the moment Matheny was struck by how familiarly Diaz carried himself.