The trade deadline passed yesterday, and the Cardinals did some things. In fact, counting the things they did over the weekend, and the things they did yesterday, they’ve done more things than I think they’ve done in the last couple years combined. It’s just been thing after thing after thing. So let me say right off the bat that I’m not doing full prospect writeups for everyone acquired here. My colleague Lance Brozdowski will be digging into the players in depth later on, and anything he doesn’t get to I’ll clean up later in a Sunday post. Rather, I want to take an overall look at what the two trades made yesterday did to the organisation, and what it was the Cardinals were trying to accomplish. But, I also put in the title of this column what the Cardinals didn’t do, didn’t I? So let’s start there, shall we? What did the Cardinals not do yesterday in trading away Tommy Pham and Oscar Mercado? Well, let’s start with what I’m most irritated by: Bud Norris is still a Cardinal. Now, let me state up front that I don’t think the Cards’ front office should have simply traded Norris to trade him; you obviously want to get a good deal, whatever that may consist of. But a team that is out of contention has no need for a free agent to be closer, and if there’s one thing that all the rest of these moves have signaled, it’s that the Cardinals are not really in contention any longer this year. Holding on to a one-year contracted late-inning reliever in a case like this is borderline irresponsible, and it’s a trend with this front office. They didn’t move Trevor Rosenthal when they could have, when they probably should have, and thus never did recoup any value there. Look at what the Orioles received in return for Zach Britton. And yes, we should all take note of the fact I’m using the Baltimore Orioles as a model of responsible front office work, which should tell you just how bad I consider holding on to Bud Norris to be. The O’s sent their long-time closer to the New York Yankees in exchange for a package of three prospects, including Dillon Tate, a very good starting pitching prospect in Double A. Even if you’re only going to get the one player, rather than one plus a couple lottery tickets, you have to make that deal to send out a player who is closing games for a club not making the playoffs. I don’t understand why this front office cannot bring itself to part with this kind of asset, and it’s maddening. Oh, and if the reason you’re holding onto 33 year old Bud Norris at the deadline is because you want to keep him around long term? Fucking. Don’t. Do not sign relief pitchers heading into their age 34 seasons to long term contracts. Move the player, get the value. shake his hand on the way out and tell him you’re really glad to have had him as part of your organisation. Do exactly that, and nothing else. Now, perhaps prices on relievers were depressed. There seems to be a fairly good argument to be made that late-inning relievers were not fetching quite what they have in years past. Okay, fair enough. Still doesn’t matter. You know what’s worse than less? Nothing. Second thing the Cardinals did not do: they did not move Jose Martinez. This one...I’m a little less upset by. I firmly believe that Jose Martinez badly needs to be moved to an American League team, where his bat can do what his bat do, without his glove mucking the whole thing up by necessity. However, while pitching tends to see a multiplicative effect in terms of value at the deadline — relief pitching in particular — position players don’t see that same kind of bump. And dealing Martinez, even as badly as it needs to be done, is complicated. I actually don’t mind if the front office decided it was better to wait for the offseason to try and figure out all the moving parts and particulars of moving Jose. Now, that’s not to say I wouldn’t have preferred to see Cafecito moved yesterday; I would have. I think there would have been real value in combing through some other hitters in the upper minors to see if someone like Rangel Ravelo could give you a similar kind of performance in a bench bat/platoon first base role the rest of the way. But there was much less impetus to deal Martinez, and I can’t say I’m appalled that it didn’t happen. So that’s the biggest part of what the Cardinals didn’t do at the deadline. There were some other, more minor, moves they probably could have made, maybe should have made, but Norris and Martinez were the two really big pieces that stand out as important moves to make, one to help rationalise the roster, and the other to try and squeeze some future value out of the only bullpen move that actually went your way this year. Now, let’s move on to what the Cardinals did do. Because they did a lot of things. The Sam Tuivailala Trade Cardinals traded Sam Tuivailala to Seattle for RHP Seth Elledge What did the Cardinals do here? This one is relatively simple. The essentially exchanged Sam Tuivailala, a very talented but not all that consistent setup reliever who was out of minor league options, for a very similar pitcher, only younger and not yet on the 40 man roster. It’s the simplest deal they made, really; a present asset for a future asset, at exactly the same position. It pushes the future hypothetical window of contention open slightly further. The Luke Voit Trade Cardinals trade Luke Voit and $1 million in international bonus pool space for LHP Chasen Shreve and RHP Giovanny Gallegos What did the Cardinals do here? This one is easy as well. The Cardinals traded a blocked asset in Luke Voit, a right-handed hitting first baseman in a system choked with right-handed hitting first basemen in the upper levels, in exchange for relief help, both present (Shreve), and future (Gallegos). This trade was an investment in 2019 and beyond, with two dynamic relief arms hopefully aiding the next couple years’ worth of Cardinal teams. The Tommy Pham Trade Cardinals trade Tommy Pham to Tampa Bay in exchange for OF Justin Williams, LHP Genesis Cabrera, and RHP Roel Ramirez What did the Cardinals do here? This one...is more complicated. I’ll actually start here by saying what I don’t think the Cardinals did, and that’s move an outspoken malcontent. There’s been a lot of speculation since the Pham deal went down that the Cardinals were just getting rid of a guy who spoke his mind too much, and made management too uncomfortable. To which I say: bullshit. Don’t get me wrong; I know there have been moments in the Tommy Pham/Cardinals relationship where there seemed to be some friction. But that’s not why this move was made. This move was made because Tommy Pham was, by far, the most movable outfield piece the Cardinals had, and they needed to move an outfield piece. Now, let me say this: I’m not going to go deep into scouting reports here, but I don’t love the return package the Cards received for what should have been a very valuable asset. I’m a big fan of Genesis Cabrera, who has Jack Flaherty-level upside as a lefty starter (not a guarantee he tightens up his command enough to get there, admittedly), but Justin Williams is an outfielder who’s built like Bryce Harper but hits like Jon Jay, and I’m just not into another overly aggressive slappy groundball hitter at this point. Ramirez looks intriguing, as another high-strikeout relief arm, but he’s not a huge part of the deal, honestly. A nice addition, but not a game-changer. So I’m not in love with what the Cards got back in exchange for Pham. In fact, I’m mildly disappointed.<doc-sep>“I think why do it now vs. do nothing until the offseason is it gives us a better idea of what you truly have,” Mozeliak said. “Getting a glimpse or getting to see what the future might look like — the timing did feel right. I think everybody would agree the path we were on wasn’t working, so change was a good thing.” Still, there is a whiff of familiarity. Once emboldened by the in-house options they had to populate and power the outfield, the Cardinals have traded Stephen Piscotty, Randal Grichuk, Magneuris Sierra and now Pham in the past eight months. They are caught in a feedback loop of outfielders that traces back to 2014. That deadline day, the Cardinals traded Allen Craig to clear room in the outfield for rookie Oscar Taveras. Several times since they’ve moved outfielders (Jon Jay) to make room for youth (Grichuk, Piscotty), and did so for Pham and now to Pham. O’Neill arrived from Class AAA Memphis on Tuesday afternoon and started in center that night, contributing two hits for the Cardinals. Displeased but not ready to dismantle, the Cardinals ultimately sided Tuesday with an eye on the future, a toe in the present, a new hand on the wheel, and not a foot on the pedal.<doc-sep>With two moves, the Cardinals rewrote their depth chart at center field by trading two of the most athletic outfielders in the organization, including one of the few players with a nose for stealing bases. At the major-league level, the Cardinals dealt Tommy Pham to Tampa Bay for three minor-league players, and at the minor-league level -- in a surprise, last-minute deal -- the Cardinals dealt Oscar Mercado to Cleveland for two minor-league players. For the Cardinals, the deal clears a spot on the 40-man roster, adds a lefthanded bat to the organization that the Cardinals have desired, and leaves them simplified, while also thinner, in center. Mercado, 23, was batting .285 with 31 steals for Triple-A Memphis. He has eight homers this season to go with a .759 OPS. Since a breakout at Class AA Springfield that made him one of the finest and most productive outfielders in the Texas League a year ago, Mercado has adjusted well to Triple-A, where his speed has remained an asset. He moved swiftly onto the depth chart the past 12 months and lingered during major-league spring training because of his skillset. Cleveland assigned Mercado to its Class AAA affiliate.<doc-sep>
John Mozeliak promised changes involving “a lot of moving parts” to occur in the near future. With just days before the July 31 trade deadline, the President of Baseball Operations proved to be a man of his word. Reliever Sam Tuivailala was dealt to the Seattle Mariners for minor league right-hander Seth Elledge, who has been assigned to Double-A Springfield. Tuivailala followed up his 2.55 ERA and 3.70 FIP in 2017 with respective figures of 3.69 and 3.98 over 31.2 innings this season. The ZiPS projections system pegs Tuivailala for a 3.64 ERA going forward, although Steamer is less confident at a 4.11 ERA projection. In Elledge, the Cardinals are acquiring the Mariner’s tenth best prospect according to MLB Pipeline, who offered the following scouting report: Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45 After having five right-handers selected in the top five rounds of the last four Drafts, Dallas Baptist produced two more viable candidates for the 2017 Draft in relievers Elledge and Dalton Higgins. The Patriots’ career saves leader with 27, Elledge was the first of the pair to be selected, going to the Mariners in the fourth round and then signing for $400,000. After reaching full-season ball in his professional debut, Elledge advanced to Class A Advanced Modesto in 2018 and garnered midseason All-Star honors in the California League. Elledge has a strong, durable frame and three pitches. He has a quick arm that consistently produces 93-95 mph fastballs with heavy sink that he can command to either side of the plate. He usually throws his low-80s slider for strikes and at times it can play like a cutter, with short, glove-slide slice. He shows some feel for a changeup but doesn’t need it much in a relief role. Elledge’s size and arsenal suggest he might profile as a starter, and while he doesn’t have a classic starter’s delivery, he does repeat it well. He stands to move much faster in a bullpen role, where, with a more refined slider, he could develop into a seventh- or eighth-inning option. Elledge has yet to start a professional game, earning the promotion to Springfield after dominating at High-A Modesto with a 1.17 ERA and 2.56 FIP. The #STLCards have acquired minor league RHP Seth Elledge from the Mariners in exchange for RHP Sam Tuivailala. Elledge, 22, was 5-1 with a 1.17 ERA and 9 saves in 31 games for Modesto (A) while being named a California League All-Star. He has been assigned to Springfield (AA). pic.twitter.com/STiMJIqrkn — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 27, 2018 Meanwhile, lefty reliever Tyler Lyons was designated for assignment alongside fellow relief pitcher Greg Holland. Lyons has struggled to repeat his 2.83 ERA and 2.86 FIP from 2017 as his strikeout rate dropped from 30.9% to 22.9% this season en route to a 8.64 ERA and 5.02 FIP. Lyons’ groundball rate has also plummeted from 41.9% to 28.3% in 2018. Holland was inked to a one year, $14 million contract on Opening Day. He has both struck out and walked 22 batters in 25 innings of 7.92/4.56/6.01 ERA/FIP/xFIP work. Brett Cecil is heading to the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Monday, July 23, with right foot inflammation. Cecil’s 5.70/5.36/6.48 ERA/FIP/xFIP was paired with a career low 90.2 mph average fastball velocity, down a full 2 mph 2017. To make room on the roster, the #STLCards have designated RHP Greg Holland and LHP Tyler Lyons for assignment, and have placed LHP Brett Cecil (right foot inflammation) on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to July 23. — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 27, 2018 These now vacant spots on the 25-man roster will be filled by Luke Weaver, Daniel Poncedeleon, and Tyler Webb, each of whom was recalled from the minor leagues. The Cardinals claimed Webb off waivers from the Padres’ organization earlier this season, logging a 2.10 ERA and 3.19 FIP between the two club’s Triple-A affiliates. His brief stint in San Diego ended with five major league innings and a 12.60 ERA and 8.56 FIP. Dakota Hudson, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Cardinals’ fourth best prospect, is also on his way to St. Louis. In 19 starts for the Memphis Redbirds, Hudson tallied 111.2 frames with a 2.50/3.57/4.41 ERA/FIP/xFIP. The #STLCards have recalled RHP Luke Weaver from Peoria (A), RHP Daniel Poncedeleon and LHP Tyler Webb from Memphis (AAA) and have purchased the contract of RHP Dakota Hudson from Memphis.