St. Louis Cardinals: Checking in on J.B. Woodman

ST. LOUIS, MO - APRIL 28: A general shot of a St. Louis Cardinals helmet and a bat in the dugout during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium on April 28, 2012 in St. Louis, Missouri. The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-3. (Photo by David Welker/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - APRIL 28: A general shot of a St. Louis Cardinals helmet and a bat in the dugout during a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium on April 28, 2012 in St. Louis, Missouri. The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-3. (Photo by David Welker/Getty Images)

When the St. Louis Cardinals sent Aledmys Diaz to Toronto for J.B. Woodman, it was kind of confusing.

So far, Aledmys Diaz is hitting .221 for the Blue Jays. That includes a stint on the DL. The St. Louis Cardinals end of that deal is an outfielder playing for Palm Beach. J.B. Woodman was barely in Toronto’s top 30 prospects at the time of the trade. He is not on the Cardinals 2018 list.

The Cardinals new outfielder is playing pretty well to this point in the young season. The 23 year old outfielder was a second round pick for Toronto back in 2016, and he could progress to be a decent player in the future.

Woodman In 2018

Just 37 games into his organizational debut, Woodman is hitting .279 with five homers. The one red flag to this point is his strikeout numbers. Remember, he is 37 games into the season. To this point, he has racked up 60 strikeouts in 122 at bats.

On the defensive side of the ball, he has played both corner outfield positions, racking up three outfield assists. He has also committed two errors. There have been several games where he served as the DH, playing 21 games defensively. It is safe to say there are some projectable tools, but there is still some development needed. Overall, Woodman is performing well.

How Does Woodman Project?

The year he was drafted, 2016, he was the Blue Jays 13th ranked prospect. He was graded as an overall average player. Woodman projected in center with the quickness to steal some bases. So far this year he has been caught twice, with no successful swipes. As he gets better, his ceiling would appear to be a fourth outfielder. Though the same was said of Harrison Bader.

Next: Ozuna's failed catch sealed the deal

With no immediate need, or future need, in sight for an outfielder on the St. Louis Cardinals, Woodman can take his time in development. The hope is that he will eventually crack the majors. Young prospects can be unpredictable, but with some luck this one could work out. But, as the cliche goes, only time will tell.

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