Completing the first significant trade off the offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals have acquired Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins. The two teams announced the deal late Monday morning.
The move, at least on its surface, would appear to benefit both sides.
Heyward is clearly the big piece of the deal. Just 25 years old, the outfielder has a pair of Gold Glove Awards already under his belt and has hit .262/.351/.429 for his career – averaging 30 doubles, 20 home runs, and 15 stolen bases a year. This past season he hit .271/.351/.384 in 649 plate appearances.
While Heyward has long been viewed as a central piece of the Braves’ lineup, there were questions about where he fit into the team’s future plans. Last winter the team awarded numerous players on the roster with cost-effective contract extensions, but Heyward was not among them. Expected to be a free agent following the 2015 season, Atlanta was faced with a decision: move him now and maximize their potential return, move him at the trade deadline, or ride out the final season and make him a qualifying offer a year from now.
Acquiring Heyward allows the Cardinals to address a gaping hole in their lineup following the unfortunate death of Oscar Taveras last month. How the team planned to fill their void in right field had remained unclear until now, but it looked as though some of the team’s prospects – namely Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty – would get the first opportunity at playing time. The pair will now likely be shifted into more of a bench role, backing up Heyward, Jon Jay, and Matt Holliday across the outfield.
Walden, 27, gives the Cardinals another experienced arm in the bullpen with some closing experience. The right-hander made 58 appearances for the Braves in 2014, posting a 2.88 ERA, 1.200 WHIP, and 11.2 K/9. Over five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and Braves he’s been consistently solid, though largely unspectacular but he should give St. Louis a new late-game option.
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Miller’s future is the big wildcard for the Braves. The right-hander is under team control for the next four seasons, but his performance in each of the past two has been relatively consistent. He’s thrown 356.1 IP while making 62 starts, posting a 3.41 ERA and 1.240 WHIP.
Miller appeared to be on the verge of stardom during the 2013 season before struggling down the stretch, ultimately not being used by the team during the postseason. The struggles continued in 2014, nearly leading him to lose his spot in the rotation at one point. There is still plenty of upside left, however, and a change of scenery may prove to be immensely beneficial.
Jenkins, 20, had a decent season in 2014 but capped it off with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League. He made just 13 starts at High-A this season following shoulder surgery in 2013, with a 3.28 ERA and 1.311 WHIP in 74 IP.
Atlanta was known to be seeking starting pitcher this winter, likely losing Ervin Santana and potentially Aaron Harang to free agency while questions remain about Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy after the pair underwent Tommy John surgery this past season. Miller gives them an immediate option to place in the rotation alongside Julio Teheran, Mike Minor, and Alex Wood.