With a desire to add a lefty and international spending money to spare, the Cardinals traded bonus money and ºüÀêÊÓƵ-area native Luke Voit to the New York Yankees late Saturday night for a tandem of relievers that includes lefty Chasen Shreve.
For a package of Voit and a portion of their international spending pool, the Cardinals received two pitchers, Shreve and righthander Giovanny Gallegos, from the Yankees.
Shreve, 28, could join the Cardinals’ bullpen by the end of this weekend. He has appeared in 40 games for the Yankees this season, including an inning Saturday night, and he’s struck out 46 batters in 38 innings. He has a 4.26 ERA and a 2-2 record. Shreve has nearly 200 appearances in the majors, and he’s been a part of the Yankees’ bullpen the past four years. This season, the lefty held lefthanded batters to a .245 average and struck out 19 in 49 at-bats.
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Shreve is under control through 2020 and eligible for arbitration this winter.
Gallegos, 26, has bounced between levels this season with a 3.90 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings at the Class AAA level. For the Yankees, he had four appearances and struck out 10 in 10 innings with a 4.50 ERA. A former undrafted free-agent who signed in 2011, Gallegos got a save for the Yankees this season.
He will have to be placed on the 40-man roster and has been assigned to Class AAA Memphis.
Voit, a Lafayette High grad, had a brief appearance in the majors this season with eight games and one home run for the Cardinals. At Memphis, Voit, a righthanded-hitting first baseman, batted .300/.392/.508 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI in 69 games. Injuries have opened up spots on the Yankees’ bench and in the lineup at designated hitter, prompting them to look for a fill-in with power.
The Cardinals have been trying to address the lefthanded depth in the bullpen after designating Tyler Lyons for assignment Friday and placing Brett Cecil on the disabled list.
MIKOLAS TWINS DOING GREAT
It was Family Day after Saturday’s game at Busch Stadium for those involved with the Cardinals, with the notable exception of winning pitcher Miles Mikolas.
During the All-Star break — Mikolas had to miss the game — his wife, Lauren, gave birth to twins (a boy and a girl) some six weeks early in Jupiter, Fla. “Everything is going well,†said Mikolas. “They’re progressing great. They’re healthy. They’re strong.â€
But the twins still are in neonatal intensive care and older sister Lillianne, not that much older as she is 16 months old, also is in Florida. So Mikolas soldiers on, with his wife sending him pictures from the hospital, and they arrange family facetime when it can be worked out.
The twins have red and white blankets with Mikolas’ No. 39 on them. “It’s nice to know I’ve got my team back there watching,†he said.
“Ever since the beginning of the season, it’s something that I have come to terms with — that at some point they weren’t going to be here. I’m aware of it so it’s not something I’m going to dwell on. That’s my situation. I’m going to make the best of it. I’m going to go out there with them on my mind and in my heart and to give it my best effort because I know they’re back there watching.â€
Mikolas said Lillianne wakes up from her nap, “and she’s like, ‘Daddy, baseball.’ She’s ready to watch the game. So the longer I can pitch the longer she gets to watch me on TV.â€
MOLINA MARCHES ON
Catcher Yadier Molina appeared in his 1,821st game as a Cardinal on Saturday, moving into fourth place past Hall of Famer Enos Slaughter. The only three ahead of him are Hall of Famers Stan Musial (3,026), Lou Brock (2,289) and Ozzie Smith (1,990).
Manager Mike Shildt said, emphatically, that Molina should join them. “Oh, he’s a Hall of Famer. That can’t be debated. It will be, I guess ... but you look at how people impact the game, that’s a Hall of Famer, bar none,†Shildt said. “He does things that are different on a stage where you have the most elite players in the world. And he’s clearly head and shoulders above in a lot of different areas, so it’s not a debate for me.
“And that Hall of Fame thing — that’s a high bar for me. I appreciate our Baseball Hall of Fame having a high bar and those comments are not said lightly.â€
C. MARTINEZ TO START MONDAY
Carlos Martinez, out since July 19 with a strained right oblique muscle, is on tap to come off the disabled list to start Monday’s game against the Colorado Rockies, Shildt said. The manager also said that Jack Flaherty would work on Tuesday, meaning that Luke Weaver and Mikolas probably would have the final two games of the series.
WONG ON THURSDAY
Second baseman Kolten Wong, on the 10-day DL with left knee inflammation suffered after he rounded third base in Chicago last weekend, said he was ready to play now and expects to play on Thursday. His DL time technically is up on Wednesday.
Shildt said that “whether he does a (minor league) rehab or not is still to be determined,†but Wong said he didn’t think it would be necessary.
“It makes sense just for me to come in and get ready to go,†said Wong. “Ten days isn’t that long. I’ll be ready.â€
BUNTING DRILLS
Before the pitching staff engaged in pre-game bunting drills, Wong, Greg Garcia and Harrison Bader had their own sessions. Wong has begun to bunt more this year and the speedy Bader, who has the highest strikeout rate on the club, might benefit the most.
“Like Mr. (George) Kissell used to say, ‘As many tools as you can have in your toolbox.’ So we’re trying to make sure that’s a tool for him, when he needs it,†Shildt said.
J. MARTINEZ IMPROVES AT FIRST BASE
Still-novice first baseman Jose Martinez made a sharp play to his left on a short-hop ball to start Saturday’s game and has looked much better at the bag lately, even though he still is removed for defense late in the game.
“It’s starting to slow down for him a little bit and he’s making more plays,†said Shildt. “He’s moving a little better, so there is some improvement.â€
MUNOZ: ‘A BASEBALL PLAYER’
Besides hitting safely in his 15th consecutive start, Yairo Munoz, playing second base, took part in three double plays. “I feel good working over there with ‘Cheo’ (coach Jose Oquendo),†said Munoz. “He’s always helping me to become a better player.â€
Shildt said, “It looks like you could put him about anywhere and he’s going to make plays. He’s a baseball player, which is a big compliment.â€
REYES TO START THROWING IN OCTOBER
Righthander Alex Reyes, whose return from Tommy John elbow surgery lasted four scoreless innings in Milwaukee on May 30 before he suffered a lat injury that required more surgery, is working out and hopes to begin throwing in October.
“And, hopefully, be ready for spring,†he said.
“I try not to think about it. Not a lot of guys have had the surgery. But it’s just a muscle.â€