The MLB has been active on Monday afternoon. The Atlanta Braves got one of their outfielders off their hands and traded Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals while the Toronto Blue Jays swept up free-agent catcher Russell Martin with a five-year contract.
It's no secret Braves' president of baseball operations John Hart was looking to move at least one of the team's outfielders before next season. He succeeded today and executed a blockbuster trade with the Cardinals that sent Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to St. Louis in exchange for starting pitcher Shelby Miller and minor league pitcher Tyrell Jenkins. The Braves have relieved themselves of Heyward's $7.8 million salary for 2015 and will avoid an arbitration settlement for 2016.
Heyward and B.J. Upton have been extreme disappointments for the Braves' outfield the past two seasons and it's been Hart's mission to send them packing. The 25-year-old Heyward has batted just .263 in 2013 and 2014 with 25 home runs and 96 RBIs compared to his 2010 and 2012 campaigns during which he batted .273 with 45 home runs and 154 RBIs. His worst season came in 2011 after he struggled mightily with a .227 average to go along with just 14 home runs and 42 RBIs in 128 games.
He'll now take over in right field for the Cardinals and the Braves will get a much needed starter in Shelby Miller since they're likely to lose Aaron Harang and Ervin Santana in free agency. Miller is 26-18 in 69 games (63 starts) with a 3.33 ERA and 1.23 WHIP since 2012 and is also under contractual control through 2018, which puts great relief on the Braves' payroll. Walden (0-2 with a 2.88 ERA in 58 games in 2014) will join the Cardinals' bullpen that needs some improvement. The four-player deal is still pending physicals.
In the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays have surprised many and signed catcher Russell Martin to a five-year, $82 million contract, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. Toronto's bid for the 31-year-old veteran was much too high for the Cubs' liking. Chicago was believed to be the front-runner for Martin because they're in the market for a catcher, but they're planning to spend their big money on a starting pitcher.
Martin, known as one of the best catchers in the game, batted .256/.362/.401 with the Pittsburgh Pirates over the past two seasons. He also added 96 runs, 26 home runs and 122 RBIs. The Pirates presented him with the one-year, $15.3 million qualifying offer, but Martin declined because he was guaranteed to receive a multi-year contract in free agency. Pittsburgh traded for Yankees' catcher Francisco Cervelli last week and will now receive the Blue Jays' 2015 first round pick (18th overall).
The Blue Jays' addition of Martin will improve their lineup both defensively and offensively. The team finished 83-79 (3rd in the AL East) and missed the playoffs for the 21st consecutive season since winning back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.
