*Photo from Bleacher Nation*
Boy oh boy this is a big one. The St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago White Sox have agreed on a 3 team, 10 player trade, first said by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal has been confirmed.
The Cardinals get RHP Erick Fedde, OF Tommy Pham, and a player to be named later. The Dodgers receive UTIL Tommy Edman, RHP Michael Kopech, and RHP Oliver Gonzalez. The White Sox get UTIL Miguel Vargas, INF's Jeral Perez and Alexander Albertus, and a player to be named later.
St. Louis president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said of the trade "I do believe this team can contend. Obviously, the last week or so hasn’t been as good as the last two and a half months. And we’ve already forgotten about the month of April. I think the way the club showed it’s capable of playing is what we’re excited about. So, as we push to October, we wanted to add some pieces that would make us stronger."
Fedde gives the Cardinals rotation another arm, taking the burden off Andre Pallante in the rotation, who has been both a reliever and starter this season. Pham, who started his career with the Cardinals, returns to the team who drafted him to provide outfield depth and a solid righty bat for the lineup. He was signed by the White Sox this season after opening day.
Returning to MLB after winning the KBO MVP award in 2023, Fedde has had a great season for the White Sox. He has a 3.11 ERA, 3.76 FIP, and 1.14 WHIP, averaging 2.5 walks per 9 innings and 8 strikeouts per 9 in 121 2/3 innings, making 21 starts.
Pham has still posted solid numbers for the White Sox despite signing after opening day. He has a .266/.330/.380 slash line with a 100 OPS+, hitting 14 doubles and 5 home runs to go with 19 RBI's in 70 games.
The Dodgers got Kopech from the White Sox to help the back end of their bullpen, as he can be a setup man and a closer paired alongside Evan Phillips. He has a big arm and has racked up strikeouts this season. Edman gives the Dodgers versatility in the middle infield and the outfield, although he hasn't played this season after undergoing wrist surgery in the offseason.
Edman had a solid season in 2023 with the Cardinals, his 5th year in the majors. He ended the year with a .248/.307/.399 slash line with a 90 OPS+, hitting 25 doubles, 4 triples, and 13 home runs to go with 27 stolen bases and 47 RBI's in 137 games.
Kopech has had an up and down season this year in the White Sox bullpen. Converted from starting to relieving, he has a 4.74 ERA and 1.35 WHIP, averaging 12.2 strikeouts per 9 and 4.2 walks per 9 in 43 2/3 innings, recording 9 saves in 43 appearances.
The last piece the Dodgers got in the deal is Gonzalez, who hasn't played in the U.S. yet. Playing for the Dominican Summer League Cardinals, he has a 4.22 ERA and 1.36 WHIP, averaging 11 strikeouts per 9 and 3 walks per 9 in 21 1/3 innings over 4 starts and 3 relief appearances.
Finally, the White Sox get a trio of prospects in Vargas, Perez, and Albertus. Vargas can help the White Sox in left field, 3rd base, and second base. Perez and Albertus are both in Low A and are still years away from the majors.
Chicago GM Chris Getz said after the trade "We've done deals in the past where it was more volume-based than just perhaps some other trades that are just one or two players of higher value. In this case, it's three. It was about finding players that can control the zone and have real offensive potential. Miguel Vargas, we're most familiar with him just because he's further along in his career. Vargas was heavily sought after last offseason by teams, certainly at this Deadline. So, we're going to get a chance to really get an idea of what he's capable of doing, and we're confident that he's going to be a strong middle-of-the-lineup type hitter for us in the near future."
Vargas is in the middle of his 3rd season shuffling between Triple A and the majors. He has a .239/.313/.423 slash line with a 107 OPS+ in the majors on top of 4 doubles and 3 home runs to go with 9 RBI's in 30 games.
Perez has spent the entire season with Low A Rancho Cucamonga in the Dodgers system. He has a .264/.380/.420 slash line, hitting 15 doubles and 10 home runs with 42 RBI's in 75 games. Albertus has played for both Ranco Cucamonga and the ACL Dodgers, combining for a .298/.420/.409 slash line with 11 doubles and 3 home runs, adding 42 RBI's in 51 games.
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