Sources: Cards’ Martinez to Rays for touted arm
The St. Louis Cardinals are trading outfielders Jose Martinez and Randy Arozarena to the Tampa Bay Rays for left-handed prospect Matt Liberatore and a low-level catching prospect, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN.
St. Louis also will send a competitive balance Round A (post-first round of MLB draft) pick to Tampa Bay, which will send a Round B pick (post-second) back to the Cards to complete the deal, sources said.
The Cardinals and Rays had been in active conversations with multiple teams as Tampa Bay tried to add outfield help and St. Louis sought to divest itself of its surplus, according to sources with knowledge of the teams’ intentions.
Liberatore, 20, is a consensus top 100 prospect in baseball and is regarded by some as the second-best left-handed prospect in the minor leagues behind San Diego‘s MacKenzie Gore.
Chosen with the 16th pick of the 2018 draft, Liberatore spent 2019 in the Rays’ low-A affiliate with Bowling Green of the Midwest League and posted a 3.10 ERA over 78.1 innings. He struck out 76, walked 31 and allowed only two home runs.
With a farm system regarded as the best in baseball, Tampa Bay reached into its cache of prospects to supplement its major league team, which won the American League wild-card game and took the Houston Astros to a deciding fifth game in the division series.
The Rays had been targeting outfield help to complement left fielder Hunter Renfroe, center fielder Kevin Kiermaier and right fielder Austin Meadows.
The Cardinals also have discussed trading outfielder Dexter Fowler and still could move him in another deal, sources said, as top prospect Dylan Carlson is expected to play a significant role in St. Louis’ outfield this season.