Could Magneuris Sierra Make The Jump?

JUPITER, Fla.—Cardinals manager Mike Matheny was so fond of what he saw from outfielder Magneuris Sierra during spring training that he told the story a few times about how a coach with another team was even more impressed.

“He’s in (low Class A),” Matheny later said. “I have to remind myself that. I have to remind other people who watched him play against them this spring.

“There are teams out there that could put him in there and watch him compete. If they had a kid like that—who could run like that, who puts together the kind of at-bats like that and plays that kind of defense—you could see a team saying, ‘Let’s push this kid a little bit.’ ”

That team now could be the Cardinals.

While Sierra isn’t getting outfitted for a spot as the team’s fourth outfielder, the 20-year-old center field has made his case for an accelerated assignment to start the season.

Sierra, who signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2012, proved to be one of the best outfield defenders in big league camp, and there are scouts who believe his glove is ready for the top level now. Offensively, he showed a greater sense of how to use his speed—and how to drive the ball.

The lefthanded-hitting Sierra used spring to build off his .307/.335/.395 turn at low Class A Peoria last year. The Cardinals had earmarked him to be high Class A Palm Beach’s everyday center fielder.

The traits that could allow him to thrive in the Florida State League are why the Cardinals were considering assigning Sierra to Double-A Springfield. Regardless of where he begins, he should see Double-A this summer.

“He’s a pure joy to watch in the outfield,” Matheny said. “I would give him a great endorsement because I think he’s ready for whatever level. A kid like him—you could see how that would play at this level at some time in the not too far future.”

REDBIRD CHIRPS

• Jordan Schafer’s bid to be a two-way player as a lefty reliever and outfielder ended with a ligament tear that required surgery. Schafer had “primary repair” done on his left elbow, which is an alternative to Tommy John surgery.

• Cuban outfielder Jose Adolis Garcia secured his work visa through Haiti in time to appear in several Grapefruit League games. He could start at Double-A, Triple-A or extended spring training.

— Derrick Goold covers the Cardinals for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch