Cardinals Rumors

Cardinals Acquire Juan Nicasio

By Steve Adams | September 6, 2017 at 1:34pm CDT

The Phillies announced that they have traded right-hander Juan Nicasio to the Cardinals in exchange for minor league infielder Eliezer Alvarez. Philadelphia had recently claimed Nicasio off outright waivers from the Pirates. Nicasio will give the Cardinals’ bullpen a boost, though since he’s been acquired after Aug. 31, he won’t be eligible for the postseason roster if St. Louis qualifies. Nicasio is a free agent after the season.

Nicasio’s time with the Phillies will last all of a week, bringing to a close one of the more puzzling sequences in recent August trade history. The Pirates were unable to pass Nicasio through revocable trade waivers last month, ultimately pulling him back off waivers and placing him on outright waivers and instead losing him to the Phillies, who had top waiver priority, for nothing other than salary relief that amounted to roughly $600K.

The move was confusing enough that Pittsburgh GM Neal Huntington felt the need to explain the team’s rationale to the media. Per Huntington, Nicasio was claimed by a “playoff-caliber” team on trade waivers — it’s not clear if that Cardinals were that club, though it’d make sense — and the Bucs opted to place him on outright waivers in hopes of getting him to an AL contender rather than helping a “direct competitor.” (Trade waivers are league-specific, whereas outright waiver priority ignores league and is solely determined in reverse order of MLB standings.)

Nicasio will ultimately end up with a direct competitor of the Pirates anyhow, though he won’t be able to pitch in the postseason. Moreover, the Phillies will make out extremely well in this deal, as Alvarez entered the season ranked 10th on Baseball America’s list of the Cardinals’ top 30 prospects. He currently ranks 19th among St. Louis farmhands in the eyes of Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. In essence, the Phillies were able to claim a Cardinals prospect off waivers, which ultimately cost them about $138K in terms of salary (the pro-rated portion of Nicasio’s week-long tenure with the team).

For the Cardinals, Nicasio immediately becomes one of their best relievers. Through 61 1/3 innings, Nicasio has averaged 8.95 K/9, 2.64 BB/9 and a 46.9 percent ground-ball rate en route to an excellent 2.79 ERA. The 31-year-old has averaged a career-best 95.4 mph on his heater in 2017 and is sporting a 10.7 percent swinging-strike rate that would rank third among current St. Louis relievers (not including the injured Trevor Rosenthal, who led the team’s bullpen in that regard).

Alvarez, 23 next month, has spent the season with St. Louis’ Double-A affiliate, hitting .247/.321/.382 with four homers and eight steals (in 11 tries). Those numbers don’t immediately stand out, though it’s worth noting that Alvarez skipped Class-A Advanced entirely and was considerably younger than the league average in Double-A.

Callis and Mayo note in their free scouting report that Alvarez has a line-drive approach with a knack for making hard contact and could eventually grow into more power. He’s an above-average runner and could profile as a regular at second base down the line if everything breaks right for him. Alvarez was added to the Cardinals’ 40-man roster last winter to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, so he’ll go onto the Phillies’ 40-man roster and fill the spot that was vacated by trading Nicasio.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NL Injury Notes: Imhof, Goldschmidt, Ahmed, Carpenter, Fedde

By Jeff Todd | September 5, 2017 at 8:34am CDT

Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer sat down with former Phillies pitching prospect Matt Imhof to discuss the tragic accident that derailed his once-promising career and left him without his right eye. His journey offers worthwhile lessons to everyone, especially those with a passion for baseball.

Here are the latest updates on injury situations from around the National League:

The Diamondbacks are awaiting the results of an MRI on the right elbow of star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes. Goldschmidt himself suggests he’s not too concerned about the discomfort he has experienced in the joint — he describes it as tightness that recedes once he has loosened up — though the team is surely wise to take a proactive approach with such a key player.
Meanwhile, Diamondbacks infielder Nick Ahmed will undergo surgery after suffering a fractured wrist, as MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert tweets. Odds are, then, that he’s done for the year after twice suffering broken bones on pitched balls. The 27-year-old will qualify for arbitration this fall, though his injury-shortened season and lack of offensive output will tamp down on his earning power quite a bit. In just over three hundred total major league games, Ahmed has established himself as a quality defender but owns only a .226/.273/.345 batting line with twenty home runs.
The Cardinals are dealing with a few position-player injuries, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Infielder Matt Carpenter will likely undergo an MRI and may also require an injection to deal with ongoing shoulder issues. It seems those problems have nagged Carpenter all season long, though it became a particular problem during yesterday’s contest and may now require some rest. Outfielder Tommy Pham is also dealing with some shoulder difficulties, though he’s not expected to miss time at this point.
Nationals righty Erick Fedde will be shut down for the rest of the season after he was diagnosed with a strained flexor mass, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports. Though GM Mike Rizzo explained that the injury isn’t all that worrisome — the strain occurred away from the elbow joint, which is not damaged — the club decided the time was right to put its best pitching prospect on ice. Fedde, 24, is generally seen as the organization’s top pitching prospect, though he has gone through some struggles over the second half of this season since moving up to Triple-A and then on to the majors. Depending upon the club’s offseason moves, Fedde could challenge for a rotation or bullpen spot next spring.

Quick Hits: Archer, Cardinals, Shapiro, Free Agents

By Mark Polishuk | September 3, 2017 at 10:34pm CDT

Chris Archer was removed from his start on Saturday after just eight pitches due to forearm tightness, though the Rays ace told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that he feels better today, despite some lingering tightness on the outside of his right forearm. While Archer doesn’t feel the injury is particularly serious and he hopes to make his next start, more will be known on Monday when he is examined by the Rays’ team doctor. Losing Archer for any stretch of time would be a big blow to Tampa Bay club that is trying to stay in the wild card race, though obviously Archer’s overall health is of larger concern to the team, given the ominous nature of forearm injuries. Here’s more from around baseball…

The Cardinals are attempting to rebuild and contend all at once, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at how the team is trying the unusual tactic of using young players (rather than experienced veterans) as midseason and late-season roster upgrades. The plan requires a lot of faith in the minor league system, though many of the youngsters deployed by the Cards this year have been very productive. “We were able to start making some moves that look forward without detracting from today. We sort of jump-started our offseason a little early by opening up opportunities,” GM Michael Girsch said.
Blue Jays team president Mark Shapiro discussed his experiences in the game with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, and the wide-ranging interview touched on the Jays’ immediate plans for 2018. Past reports have suggested that the Jays are still looking to contend next season, and Shapiro reiterated that by suggesting that there is a priority towards retaining the increased fan support that has surfaced from the team’s recent postseason success. “In this situation, the desire to win and to continue to give a relatively new fan base — because a lot of fans that are coming are new fans — a reason to cheer and to come to the ballpark is probably more important than just maybe pushing the express button on how to regenerate and reinvigorate the farm system,” Shapiro said.
The Braves will likely call up left-hander Luiz Gohara as soon as Tuesday, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. The hard-throwing Gohara has posted strong numbers in each of the last two seasons, and is ranked by MLB.com as the eighth-best prospect in Atlanta’s system. Though GM John Coppolella didn’t rule out the idea of also promoting top prospect Ronald Acuna sometime in September, O’Brien feels the 19-year-old outfielder is likelier to make his MLB debut (and be placed on the 40-man roster) next spring, when Acuna will be competing for a regular job.
Defense and the ability to make contact at the plate could be more attractive skillsets than power for teams looking for lineup help this offseason, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes (subscription required). We already saw sluggers get paid less than expected last winter, and some evaluators feel that trend could worsen in the coming offseason since home run hitters aren’t particularly hard to find, as more and more players are adjusting their swings to lift the ball to generate homers or extra-base hits. Olney and his ESPN colleague Keith Law also described this concept during a podcast earlier this week.

Phillies Claim Kevin Siegrist From Cardinals

By charliewilmoth | September 2, 2017 at 1:02pm CDT

The Phillies have announced that they’ve claimed lefty Kevin Siegrist from the Cardinals. The Cards designated Siegrist for assignment on Thursday as they activated him from a stint he spent on the DL with forearm tendinitis. To clear space on their 40-man roster, the Phillies have transferred righty Jerad Eickhoff (hand) to the 60-day DL.

Siegrist was a key reliever for the Cardinals in 2015 and 2016, when he combined for a 2.44 ERA, 10.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 over 136 1/3 innings. This season, though, he’s dealt with a neck injury in addition to the forearm problem, and he’s posted a 4.98 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 over 34 1/3 innings. He’s also dealt with somewhat diminished velocity, with his mid-90s heater dipping more into the 92-93 MPH range.

Siegrist is, however, eligible for arbitration for two more seasons after this one and he’s making a modest $1.64MM this year. Assuming he’s able to come back healthy, the Phillies can use the rest of the season to get a read on him, then decide if they want to keep him in their bullpen as a relatively cheap addition for 2018. The Phillies, despite not contending this season, have also already shown somewhat of a willingness to take on short-term veteran bullpen upgrades, having also recently added Juan Nicasio on a waiver claim.

Notable September Call-Ups

By Steve Adams | September 1, 2017 at 10:00pm CDT

September 1 marks the date on which regular-season rosters expand from 25 to 40 in Major League Baseball. While the merit of that rule and its impact on games are a source of debate — MLB games tend to increase considerably in length in September as managers can more freely make pitching changes with deeper bullpens — the fact remains that there could be more than 100 players promoted to the big leagues today as the first wave of call-ups arrives.

Many September call-ups are players that have experience already under their belt. Journeyman big leaguers with exceptionally specific roles (e.g. pinch-running and defensive specialists) become a luxury that teams can now afford, and many teams will bring up a third catcher or additional bullpen arms for depth, even if a long-term MLB role isn’t likely for said players.

Some promotions, though, are more notable than others. Big league teams will often use the month of September to get a look at their top organizational prospects, and in some instances September can provide a potential audition for former stars seeking to reestablish themselves. (The Orioles, for instance, were reported last night to be bringing slugger Pedro Alvarez up from Triple-A for the season’s final month.)

All that said, here are some of this year’s more notable September promotions (we’ll update throughout the day as more moves are announced)…

Four new youngsters are joining the Cardinals, the team announced. Outfielder Harrison Bader and infielder Alex Mejia were already on the 40-man, but the team has also gone ahead and added righty Sandy Alcantara and backstop Alberto Rosario. Alcantara is an interesting pitcher to keep an eye on, as he reputedly comes with a big arm and could contribute from the bullpen — though he’s still ironing things out as a starter after spending the year pitching to a 4.31 ERA at Double-A.
The Indians announced that they’ve recalled top catching prospect Francisco Mejia from Double-A Akron and selected the contract of outfielder Greg Allen from Akron, thus adding him to the 40-man roster. The 21-year-old Mejia is commonly regarded as one of the top 25 prospects in all of Major League Baseball and was reportedly the would-be centerpiece to the Jonathan Lucroy trade that Lucroy vetoed in 2016. Allen, too, was set to be a part of that trade but has instead remained in the Indians organization and will now join Mejia in donning a big league jersey for the first time this month.
Right-hander Fernando Salas will return to the Angels, who announced last night that his contract has been selected from Triple-A Salt Lake. Salas spent parts of three seasons as a useful bullpen arm for the Angels before a trade to the Mets last August. While he dominated for New York down the stretch, Salas was torched for a 6.00 ERA this year after re-signing with the Mets. He tossed three scoreless innings in Salt Lake City and will hope for a strong finish to bolster offseason interest.
The Blue Jays, too, will be getting another look at an old friend. Outfielder Michael Saunders is joining the Jays as a September call-up, tweets MLB.com’s Greg Johns. While Saunders is merely looking to show well in his return to the Majors after struggling badly with the Phillies earlier this season, another outfielder is looking to carve out a long-term role in Toronto; trade acquisition Teoscar Hernandez is also on his way to the Majors, per Johns. The 24-year-old Hernandez was acquired in the Francisco Liriano swap and has posted a combined .265/.351/.490 batting line in 456 Triple-A plate appearances this season.
The Mets are promoting right-handers Jacob Rhame and Jamie Callahan, tweets MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. While neither reliever is considered to be among the game’s best prospects — they rank 23rd and 30th, respectively, on MLB.com’s list of the Mets’ top 30 prospects — both were recently acquired on the trade market. Rhame came to the Mets from the Dodgers as the return for Curtis Granderson, while Callahan arrived in Queens by way of the Addison Reed trade with the Red Sox. Both will be looking to make a strong impression as they seek to secure a long-term spot in the Mets’ bullpen.
The Tigers are getting their first look at left-handed reliever Jairo Labourt, per a team announcement. The 23-year-old was acquired alongside Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd in exchange fo David Price back in 2015. He’s turned in an excellent 2.17 ERA across three minor league levels this season and averaged better than 10 strikeouts per nine innings, albeit with some shaky control (4.5 BB/9).

Cardinals Designate Kevin Siegrist For Assignment

By Steve Adams | August 31, 2017 at 2:18pm CDT

The Cardinals announced on Thursday that they’ve activated left-handed reliever Kevin Siegrist from the 10-day disabled list and designated him for assignment. The 28-year-old had been on the disabled list due to a bout of left forearm tendinitis.

The 28-year-old Siegrist was one of the Cardinals’ top setup options in 2015-16 and appeared in a league-leading 81 games out of the St. Louis ’pen back in 2015. Over the 2015-16 seasons, he worked to a combined 2.44 ERA with 10.3 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9 over the life of 136 1/3 innings.

The 2017 campaign, though, has been another story entirely. Siegrist has been bothered by some health issues this year, and he’s posted a generally unappealing 4.98 ERA with a deteriorated (but still strong) 9.4 K/9 against 5.2 BB/9. Siegrist averaged 94 mph on his heater in that excellent 2015 season, but that average dipped down to 92 mph this season as he’s struggled to stay healthy.

That said, there’s a possibility that Siegrist could draw some quick trade interest if he’s deemed healthy. He’s earning a reasonable $1.635MM in 2017 and is controlled for another two years beyond the current campaign via arbitration. His sub-par results this year should act to suppress any raise he’d earn via that arbitration process, so he could be a perfectly affordable bullpen piece for a team next season, if not for the final month of the 2017 campaign.

Cardinals Notes: Leake Trade, Lynn, Outfield, Weaver

By Steve Adams | August 31, 2017 at 9:50am CDT

The Cardinals’ trade of right-hander Mike Leake didn’t go over well with his now-former teammates, writes Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I said, ’Is this a joke?’ … It was shocking to all of us,” outfielder Tommy Pham tells Hummel, describing the moment he learned of the news. Right-hander Lance Lynn’s comments suggested a bit of frustration as well: “If you look at everything that’s happened so far, there’s been no acquisitions (by the Cardinals).”

Lynn also further addressed the lack of extension talks between the Cardinals and his agents. “I’m sure whenever the time comes — when the World Series is over and five days after, I’m sure somebody will talk to me,” said Lynn. “…They’ve had a whole season. Five days isn’t going to matter. But I just work here.” Cards fans will definitely want to check out the full column for more player quotes as well as notes on Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha.

A bit more out of St. Louis…

The Cardinals have collected an abundance of outfield talent in the minors and could potentially trade from that depth this winter, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “We’re not going to have enough room at the inn,” said president of baseball operations John Mozeliak of his organization’s outfield depth. “That is something we, as an organization, are going to have to take a very hard look at this offseason and decide what makes the most sense.” St. Louis was reportedly open to considering trades involving Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty prior to the non-waiver trade deadline. Their minor league ranks include Magneuris Sierra, Harrison Bader, recently acquired Tyler O’Neill, international signee/former Cuban pro Randy Arozarena as well as the much-improved Oscar Mercado, whose stock has risen considerably in 2017, Goold notes as part of his in-depth look at the team’s outfield stockpile. St. Louis is known to be seeking an impact bat for the middle of the lineup and, more speculatively speaking, could also pursue rotation help (especially if Lynn departs) and bullpen arms.
Right-hander Luke Weaver has impressed the Cardinals this month and looks more and more like a long-term asset in St. Louis, writes MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch. While he was initially stepping into the spot of the injured Wainwright, the trade of Leake now creates a potential long-term opening for Weaver, who has turned in 29 innings with a 2.48 ERA, 11.1 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 50.7 percent ground-ball rate. Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun sang Weaver’s praises when speaking with Langosch after facing him in two separate games this month. And, asked if Weaver will hold a rotation spot through season’s end, Cards skipper Mike Matheny replied, “There’s no reason he shouldn’t be here.”

Cardinals To Promote Jack Flaherty

By Steve Adams | August 30, 2017 at 4:20pm CDT

The Cardinals will promote right-hander Jack Flaherty from Triple-A Memphis to make his MLB debut by starting Friday’s game against the Giants, per a team announcement. He’s not on the 40-man roster, but this morning’s unexpected trade of Mike Leake to the Mariners opened both a 40-man roster spot as well as a spot in the St. Louis rotation.

Flaherty, 21, was the 34th overall pick in the 2014 draft and ranked as the game’s No. 53 prospect on MLB.com’s midseason top 100 list. Both Baseball America and Fangraphs rated Flaherty comparably, at No. 57, on their own summer rankings of baseball’s top 100 prospects.

Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com note in their free scouting report that Flaherty’s velocity has ticked up to the mid-90s this year, adding that he has three “usable” secondary offerings, with his changeup the best of the bunch as a potential plus pitch down the line. Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen calls him a potential above-average starter, offering a similar take on his improved arsenal in 2017.

The 6’4″, 205-pound Flaherty is a product of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles — the same program that produced top picks Lucas Giolito and Max Fried. Flaherty opened the 2017 season at Double-A and dominated Texas League opponents to the tune of a 1.42 ERA through 63 1/3 innings before being bumped up to Memphis. His results in the Triple-A International League were similarly impressive, as Flaherty has logged a 2.94 ERA with 9.0 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 41 percent ground-ball rate through 85 1/3 frames there.

The Cardinals’ clear hope is the Flaherty, Luke Weaver and currently injured but high-ceilinged Alex Reyes can occupy spots in their rotation for years to come. Flaherty is the last of the bunch to arrive in the Majors, and if he’s here to stay, he won’t qualify for arbitration until after the 2020 season. The earliest that Flaherty could become a free agent, given his current trajectory, would be upon completion of the 2023 campaign.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NL Notes: Leake, Lynn, Harper, Upton, Humphreys

By Jeff Todd | August 30, 2017 at 2:28pm CDT

In the wake of today’s Mike Leake trade, some have wondered whether the Cardinals might be more inclined to bring back fellow right-hander Lance Lynn, who’s set to reach free agency this fall. But Lynn himself suggested that, at a minimum, that’s hardly an inevitability. As Chris Lee of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, the veteran hurler says there has “been zero communication” between his camp and the Cards’ front office about a new contract. You’ll want to read all of his comments for yourself, but it certainly did not sound as if the 30-year-old is entirely sanguine about the chances of a reunion.

It’s worth noting, too, that Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has emphasized a desire to rely on the team’s younger arms in explaining the Leake swap, as Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com tweets. That would seem to suggest that Luke Weaver and others factor prominently in the club’s plans for 2018 (and, of course, beyond). Mozeliak covered a few of the up-and-coming hurlers in his comments today, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch covers in his story on the trade.
Nationals star Bryce Harper does not seem to be making much headway in his effort to return from his recent knee injury, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). Harper says he suffered not only a bone bruise but also a strained calf, while indicating some concern with the fact that there’s not much time left in the regular season. Skipper Dusty Baker acknowledged that Harper is still “a long way of running,” adding that the club will give Jayson Werth some time in right field in case Harper isn’t ready for the postseason.
The Giants have at least some level of interest in Tigers outfielder Justin Upton, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (links to Twitter). Trouble is, San Francisco (quite understandably) would only want to deal for Upton if it can be assured that he won’t exercise his opt-out clause and head out onto the open market this fall. Upton will be deciding between another foray into free agency and the $88.5MM over four years still left on his contract. It seems unlikely that he’ll be inclined to tip his hand on that call, let alone pre-commit, so it’s hard to imagine how a deal could come together. The Giants, after all, won’t want to sacrifice value to rent Upton in a lost season. And the Tigers would surely rather deal him in the offseason or offer him a qualifying offer (if he opts out) than give him away for nothing. Of course, San Francisco could still pursue Upton in trade or free agency after the season if he ends up remaining with Detroit through the end of the season.
Another Mets pitcher has suffered a significant injury, though he is not a major leaguer. Prospect Jordan Humphreys has undergone Tommy John surgery, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). The 21-year-old landed with the Mets as an 18th-round pick, but impressed this year at the Class A level, throwing 69 2/3 innings of 1.55 ERA ball with 10.3 K/9 against 1.2 BB/9. He had just been promoted to High-A before hitting the shelf. MLB.com recently rated Humphreys the organization’s 15th-best prospect.

Mariners Acquire Mike Leake

By Jeff Todd | August 30, 2017 at 10:12am CDT

12:07pm: The Cardinals will send the Mariners around $17MM, Rosenthal tweets.

10:12am: In a surprising development, the Cardinals have dealt righty Mike Leake to the Mariners. Young infielder Rayder Ascanio will go to St. Louis in the swap, with $750K of international bonus pool spending capacity and unannounced cash considerations also heading to Seattle.

It’s not yet known how much cash the M’s will take on in the deal or what players may be headed in return. Leake had already cleared revocable waivers, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). That was to be expected. Leake is earning $15MM this year, with about $2.5MM left to go. He remains under contract through 2020, with a $53MM total guarantee — including a $5MM buyout of a 2021 mutual option.

Leake’s contract includes full no-trade protection, so his approval was required for the deal to go through. He has indeed waived the clause, per Nightengale (Twitter link). Notably, Leake has spoken of his desire to be closer to family in Arizona and will now at least get to spend Spring Training there; that motivation and others may have aided his decision.

[RELATED: Updated Mariners & Cardinals Depth Charts]

Since signing on with the Cards before the 2016 season, Leake has shown the durability that earned him the contract, throwing 330 2/3 innings over 56 starts. But he has also managed only a 4.46 cumulative ERA while compiling 6.2 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9. Leake has struggled especially of late, working to an 8.88 ERA in his five starts in August.

Assuming he can get back on track, Leake will help steady a Seattle rotation that has faced a steady barrage of injuries. Felix Hernandez, James Paxton, Hisashi Iwakuma, and Drew Smyly are all on the DL, with only the first two expected to return this season. The club has fallen three games off of the AL Wild Card pace, but evidently still feels compelled to push for the postseason this year.

Of course, Leake will also represent a piece of the future picture. The Mariners will almost certainly bid adieu to Iwakuma, Smyly, and Yovani Gallardo over the winter. Erasmo Ramirez and even David Phelps — both acquired earlier this summer — could be rotation options (though the latter has worked from the pen), as could Gonzales. Still the team was clearly in need of at least one more arm to go along with King Felix and the Big Maple.

This is the second notable recent swap between these organizations, who had previously struck a deal that sent young lefty Marco Gonzales to Seattle for outfielder Tyler O’Neill. Leake may well end up bumping Gonzales out of the Mariners rotation for the time being.

Seattle will also pick up some bonus pool money, which St. Louis wasn’t able to utilize anyway following penalties for prior spending. The Cards will also add the 21-year-old Ascanio, a middle infielder out of Venezuela. Ascanio has played at the Class A and High-A levels this year, posting a .217/.295/.355 slash over 450 total plate appearances. That’s not a lot of offense, though he has knocked nine balls over the fence — more than he had over his four prior professional seasons combined.

St. Louis remains in the hunt for both the NL Central crown and a Wild Card spot, though the team enters play today five games out of the postseason picture. While the rotation has had its issues, Luke Weaver has emerged as a quality option since returning to the majors recently, perhaps freeing the club to deal Leake. Another young righty, Jack Flaherty, likely isn’t far behind.

Ultimately, dealing Leake may have more to do with future considerations than the club’s immediate postseason hopes. Moving some of the contract will open some payroll space for 2018 and beyond, though it also takes away one rotation option with Lance Lynn slated to hit the open market and Adam Wainwright entering the final year of his contract. The club does still control Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha, in addition to the two talented but less-experienced arms noted above, and will hopefully welcome Alex Reyes back into the fold next year. Parting with Leake, though, could conceivably keep the door open for the return of Lynn or lead the team to acquire another rotation piece over the offseason.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter) first said a deal involving Leake was close, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). MLB.com’s Jen Langosch tweeted the detail on the international money.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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