What if the Cardinals signed Fernando Tatis Jr.?
By Mike Luciano
Fernando Tatis Jr. was almost a St. Louis Cardinal.
San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. has just 104 games to his name in the pros, but he already has become one of the brightest young stars in baseball. Tatis, who leads the NL in home runs and steals in 2020, has a .315 average, 31 home runs and 21 steals during his pro career. The Padres lucked out when they landed Tatis, as he was almost signed by an NL rival.
His father, former MLB third baseman Fernando Tatis Sr., claimed that the St. Louis Cardinals had several opportunities to sign Tatis given how well he performed in workouts, but they never pulled the trigger. He eventually was signed by the Chicago White Sox, where he traded to San Diego in exchange for James Shields in what turned out to be one of the more lopsided trades in recent memory.
Fernando Tatis Sr .: "@tatis_jr was shown in 19 try outs with the St. Louis Cardinals organization. The tools, the skills, everything was there. Many times I asked myself why they didn't sign him. Finally , the #WhiteSox signed him, but then traded him to the #Padres".@jmena26 pic.twitter.com/rmbtfdLuhl
— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) August 14, 2020
Fernando Tatis Jr. has become one of the best young players in the league with the Padres.
Tatis Sr. hit .265 with 113 home runs in an 11-year pro career. Of those 113 dingers, 61 came as a Cardinal, and 34 came during his fantastic 1999 season. His son is just 21, but he has the potential to become twice the player his dad ever was due to his combination of speed, power, and flair.
Tatis and Manny Machado’s Padres are 11-9, putting them in prime position to contend for a playoff spot in 2020. If the Cardinals took their former third baseman at his word and signed his son to a contract, San Diego might be relegated to the bottom of the division. Even after 104 games, St. Louis has to be livid with the fact their inaction cost them a shot at Tatis.
https://twitter.com/Padres/status/1292629252060229632
Related Story. Can Tatis and the Padres contend in 2020?. light
While Tatis Sr. was a solid MLB player who spent his best seasons with the Cardinals, his son is one of the most electric, captivating young stars in the game today.
It’s hard to spot future MLB talent at any age, and it’s even harder to scout teenagers. However, the fact that the Cardinals barely gave Tatis the time of day will come back to haunt him if Tatis continues to evolve into a superstar.