Cardinals Sign Jose Adolis Garcia

Cuban outfielder Jose Adolis Garcia, the younger brother of Braves third baseman Adonis Garcia, has signed a minor league contract with the Cardinals with an invite to big league camp, the club said Friday.

Garcia reportedly got a $2.5 million bonus, per MLB.com.

“As we continue to look for ways to add talent to the Cardinals organization, we are grateful for the efforts of Moises Rodriguez (director of international operations) and Matt Slater (director of player personnel) in helping us to do so,” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said in a news release.

Garcia, 23, who ranked as Baseball America’s No. 20 player still in Cuba in our April 2015 rankings, was one of the most tooled-up players in Cuba, with 60 speed on the 20-80 scouting scale and a plus-plus arm. He was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball in December.

While he played mostly right field for his Ciego de Avila team in Cuba’s top league, Serie Nacional, he has played center field during international tournaments and looked comfortable there, with the tools and athleticism that should allow him to play center field in pro ball.

At 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Garcia has quick bat speed but his long swing, free-swinging approach and struggles to recognize offspeed pitches raise concerns about his ability to perform against better pitching.

Garcia played in Japan last summer for the farm team of the Yomiuri Giants, though he struggled there and was released after batting .234/.274/.396 in 117 plate appearances. His lack of plate discipline hurt him, as he drew just six walks (one intentional) and had 37 strikeouts.