The Cardinals and Indians executed a trade that seemingly went under the rumor radar over the past week or so. With Justin Masterson joining the Cardinals' rotation, is St. Louis no longer a destination for Jon Lester and/or David Price?
It's been known for over a week now that the Cleveland Indians were looking to trade starting pitcher Justin Masterson, among other players, but it was unknown where the 29-year-old would end up. According to ESPN Baseball Insider Jim Bowden, the Indians traded Masterson to the Cardinals in exchange for St. Louis' No.8 prospect, outfielder James Ramsey, a former first-round pick in 2012. Masterson is having a poor season thus far, but he'll be a solid fifth starter while the team will likely move Carlos Martinez back to the bullpen.
Masterson perhaps had his best season last year after he posted a 14-10 record with a 3.45 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 195 strikeouts, and three complete game shutouts in 29 starts. However, this year has been a different story, with Masterson struggling in 19 starts posting a 4-6 record and a 5.51 ERA. The Cardinals were in need of another starter, and despite Masterson's poor season, he could prove effective as the number five. This trade seemingly takes the Cardinals out of such discussions for Boston's Jon Lester and Tampa Bay's David Price.
According to sources, the Cardinals were rumored to have put an offer on the table for David Price when trade talks for the Rays' ace were flaring. St. Louis allegedly offered outfielder Oscar Taveras, starting pitcher Shelby Miller, and their competitive balance lottery draft pick for Price. But the Cardinals wanted a financial commitment from the pitcher if they were to acquire him in a trade. Now that the Rays went on a winning streak, leaving them seven games out of first place in the AL East and 4.5 games back in the wild card race, the team's front office backtracked on their willingness to trade Price. Whatever the Rays want to do with Price, the Cardinals are likely bowing out.
Same thing goes for Boston's Jon Lester. Last night the Cardinals were said to have been one of three front-runners for the left-hander, alongside the Dodgers and the Pirates, but that's probably no longer. The Red Sox wanted top prospects for Lester, but the Cardinals were dubious about surrendering their prized young players because Lester is a free agent at the end of the year. The conservative deal for Masterson was probably the most prudent in terms of preserving their prospects, and if they want to re-sign the former Cleveland Indian they'll have an easier chance of doing so in the offseason. The high demand for Lester and Price wouldn't have guaranteed their long-term status with St. Louis.
There are still just over 24 hours left in trade window, and you can read more about the trade between the Cardinals and Indians in this ESPN article.
