The St. Louis Cardinals trade outfielder Randal Grichuk to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The St. Louis Cardinals are loading up their bullpen, while the Toronto Blue Jays are doing the same with their lineup. Randal Grichuk is on his way to Canada, with a duo of pitchers heading to St. Louis.
Both teams are making a push in their respective leagues, while not risking much in the process, thus far.
The #STLCards have acquired RHP Dominic Leone and RHP Conner Greene from the #BlueJays in exchange for OF Randal Grichuk.
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) January 19, 2018
Leone, 26, appeared in 65 games for the Blue Jays in 2017 and compiled a 2.56 ERA, 1.05 WHIP with 81 Ks in 70.1 IP. pic.twitter.com/W7WRQVz21R
Randal Grichuk’s career with the St. Louis Cardinals was a bumpy one, with flashes of greatness — while at other times, not so much. A career .249 hitter, Grichuk’s best season was in 2015, where he slashed .276/.329/.548 with 17 home runs along with it. His past two campaigns so a significant drop off in batting average and consistency, but flashes of raw power.
During his tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals, Grichuk never exceeded 500-plate appearances, where he’ll like top that in his first year with the Toronto Blue Jays. His defense will be an upgrade in right field from the likes of Jose Bautista, with a rocket for an arm to go with his defensive skills.
Jays' outfield mix now includes Grichuk, Pearce, Granderson and Carrera in addition to Pillar. Diaz and Solarte will give them INF depth. Still think they'll add pitching.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) January 19, 2018
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No doubt, the Blue Jays are loaded with position players, but pitching will be a concern heading into Spring training. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals are adding critical pieces to their bullpen, one that saw many struggles at crucial times of 2017.
Dominic Leon will be a pivotal piece to the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen, with a breakout campaign last season — 3-0, 2.58 ERA/1.05 WHIP in 65 games. Meanwhile, Conner Greene has yet to long an official MLB appearance, where he’s still figuring things out in the Minor Leagues.
The Cardinals have outfielders galore, both in at the Major League level and within in their farm system. Trading Stephen Piscotty and now Randal Grichuk makes sense, especially with the addition of Marcell Ozuna.
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A change of scenery may do Randal Grichuk well, where the sky is the limit for the youngster in 2018 and beyond. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals are adding depth to their bullpen, with a closer next on their shopping list; where they are just getting started this MLB offseason.