Dan Kantrovitz, now an assistant general manager for Oakland, had led the A’s international scouting department from 2009 to 2011 before running the Cardinals drafts from 2012-2014. Diaz said major-league scouts watched him play third base in the 2010 World University Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Kantrovitz had seen Diaz and was among the first to offer a report on him to the Cardinals.

More would follow.

The Cardinals had reports on Diaz from three different continents, at least six different scouts. In January 2013, the Post-Dispatch reported Diaz had the Cardinals’ attention as their first bid into the Cuban market.

As Mozeliak reviewed scouting reports in January 2014, Diaz secured his visa and went to live with a cousin in Arizona. His cousin, Lazaro Hernandez, had helped Diaz get cleats and batting gloves during his final three years in Cuba. Now he offered him a place to get ready. In the next month, he would begin showcasing his ability.

“It’s nothing like playing every day,” Diaz said. “It’s completely different. You go from running to taking groundballs to then hitting. It’s demanding. You have to be focused. The results of those tryouts determine your future.”