JUPITER, Fla. -- After spending years trying to find a quality shortstop, the St. Louis Cardinals now appear to have an excess. The Cardinals introduced their newest acquisition, Cuban shortstop Aledmys Diaz, on Monday. Within the organization, some have compared him to a young Derek Jeter. "He walks like him you can see some of that there," St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said. Diaz liked to heard that. "He thinks Derek Jeter is definitely the model ballplayer that everyone should look up to, that he looked up to in the opportunities that he had in Cuba to watch baseball games," said translator Moise Rodriguez, a team employee. "Hes a world-renowned baseball player that comes across as somebody thats a leader and somebody that everybody should try to be like." The Cardinals signed Diaz to a four-year deal over the weekend only months after signing current shortstop Jhonny Peralta, a two-time All-Star, to a free agent contract of the same length. Having Peralta will allow the Cardinals to take their time with the 23-year-old Diaz, who will begin this season in the minor leagues and likely be given a chance to learn multiple infield positions. "We plan on being patient with him," Mozeliak said. "He hasnt played baseball in, really, over a year and a half competitively. Its not something where were looking to have him put his fingerprints on the major league team tomorrow. We can give him time to develop and let him, from a talent standpoint, take his time to get back to where he was." Diaz defected from Cuba to Mexico in 2012. The Cardinals scouted Diaz in Mexico and worked him out earlier this spring at the Roger Dean Stadium complex. "I thought he did a lot of things well," said St. Louis manager Mike Matheny, who attended the Jupiter workout. "You are just looking at tools at that point. You can see that hes had some repetitions out there. He knows what hes doing. Swinging the bat, the ball jumped off. Just a guy that you could tell hes been around the game a while." Diaz hit .315 with 12 home runs in 270 at-bats during the 2011-12 season in Cuba. Mozeliak expects Diaz to continue to hit for average with gap power as a major leaguer. "Were very confident that he can be an offensive middle infielder, specifically a shortstop," Mozeliak said. Diaz went through practice with his new team before Mondays game against Detroit, but it will be some time before he appears in a major league spring training exhibition. Later this week, he will return to Mexico to finalize his work visa. Until that issue is cleared, Diaz can work out with the big league club but can only play in games on the back fields. "Its always been his dream to try and compete at the highest level in the world," Rodriguez said. "Obviously this represents that. Yeah, there are some challenges and difficulties. But for him, being able to come here and try to compete with the best in the world in the industry is something that hes always looked forward to doing." Tony Larussa Jersey . Four years after winning gold on home ice in Vancouver, the Canadians will get a chance to make it two in a row Sunday against Sweden after beating the United States 1-0 in the Olympic semifinals Friday at Bolshoy Ice Dome. Atlanta Braves Store .Sinclair, from Burnaby, B.C., led the Canadian team with three goals at the four-nation competition. She also earned tournament most valuable player honours.The Canadian captain scored on a penalty kick in the 63rd minute and added the winning goal a minute later. https://www.cheapbraves.com/563o-jeff-bu...sey-braves.html. The Oilers jumped into the free agent market early by signing defencemen Keith Aulie (six-foot-six, 228 pounds) and Mark Fayne (6-3, 210 pounds) and left-winger Benoit Pouliot (6-3, 197-pounds). Two days earlier MacTavish traded lightweight forward Sam Gagner to Tampa Bay for 6-3, 203-pound right winger Ted Purcell. Dusty Baker Braves Jersey . In his first game with Boston University, the 17-year-old Eichel picked up five assists as his Boston University Terriers thumped St. Ralph Garr Braves Jersey .Then came December.Three straight losses, including a crushing 27-24 defeat to Washington (4-11) on Saturday, has the Eagles (9-6) on the brink of playoff elimination.BEIJING -- Canadas Kevin Koe will have to settle for playing for bronze at the world mens curling championship. The Calgary skip fell 10-8 to Swedens Oskar Eriksson in semifinal action Saturday and will face Switzerlands Peter de Cruz for the bronze medal (Saturday at 10pm et/7pm pt on TSN2). Earlier, Koe lost 3-2 to Norways Thomas Ulsrud in the Page 1-2 playoff game. "It was a bad day," said Koe. "We played pretty decent for the most part, I thought we were throwing them good. "But big misses at the wrong time, and those will obviously kill you in the big games." The Canadian team -- including third Pat Simmons, second Carter Rycroft and lead Nolan Thiessen -- took an early lead by opening with a deuce. But Sweden rallied with four in the second after a freeze attempt by Koe came up short. "Just one bad miss -- thats all it took," said Koe. "If I made my last one, we probably only give up one or two. "Just a bad miss at the wrong time." The teams traded singles the next two ends. Canada missed a chance to tie it with two in the fifth and Sweden took complete control with three in the sixth afterr Koes last-rock freeze attempt was heavy.dddddddddddd The Canadians scored two in the seventh and stole one in the eighth but thats as close as theyd get. "Im a little devastated right now," said Rycroft. "I dont know what it was, if it was a lack of confidence on our part or still not trusting the ice. "But we missed way too many shots on the wrong side. Good curlers missing easy shots is not going to win you many games." Canada has won 49 world curling championship medals, including 34 gold. Nine times Canadians have settle for silver and bronze on six occasions. "Well show up and try our hardest to win," said Koe. "I mean, itll be hard, were disappointed -- we came here thinking wed be in that gold-medal game . . . but well be trying to win a medal." Canada also lost 6-2 to Sweden in the round-robin portion of the tournament. Sweden will face Ulsrud in the final (Saturday night at 3am et/Midnight pt on TSN). Ulsrud, who finished second to Koe at the 2010 world championship, will be seeking his first title in 10 appearances at the event. Swedens Niklas Edin won last years event in Victoria. ' ' '