Cardinals Trade Pham to Rays for Minors Trio

photo: Tommy Pham (Scott Kane/USA TODAY Sports Images)

St. Louis Cardinals press release

Justin Williams (Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)

The St. Louis Cardinals announced this (Tuesday) morning a four-player trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, acquiring outfielder Justin Williams, left-handed pitcher Genesis Cabrera and right-handed pitcher Roel Ramirez in exchange for outfielder Tommy Pham and International Cap Space.

Williams, 22, is a left-handed hitting outfielder who was batting .258 with 8 home runs and 46 RBI for the Durham Bulls (AAA), where earlier this season he was named an International League All-Star.  The 6-2, 215 pound Williams hails from Houma, Louisiana.  Williams, a former 2nd round draft pick by Arizona (52nd overall) in 2013, made his Major League debut earlier this month.

Genesis Cabrera (Montgomery Biscuits)

Cabrera, 21, has fashioned a 7-6 mark with a 4.12 ERA in 21 games (20 starts) for Montgomery of the Southern League (AA), striking out 124 batters in 113.2 innings pitched while limiting the opposition to .218 batting mark.  The 6-1, 170-pound native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic was named to the Southern League All-Star team last month.

Ramirez, 23, was 3-1 with a 3.32 ERA in 26 games as a reliever for the Montgomery Biscuits, fanning 46 batters in 40.2 innings.  The 6-1, 210-pound Ramirez is from Laredo, Texas.

Pham, 30, a member of the Cardinals organization since being drafted in 2006, was batting .248 this season with 14 home runs and 41 RBI.


Derek Shore’s take

The headliner in the Pham trade, Williams was originally acquired from the D-Backs in the Jeremy Hellickson trade. The left-handed hitting outfielder has always flashed loud tools, but he has never quite put it all together. His best tool is his plus arm strength as well as above-average raw power that has yet to translate into games.

Still developing as a defender in the outfield, Williams could become an average defensive outfielder but needs to add lift to his swing to begin tapping into his true power potential. All in all, though, he profiles as an everyday corner guy. If that doesn’t pan out, the fallback is a backup outfield role.

It is also worth noting Williams essentially takes the spot of Mercado on the 40-man roster.

Roel Ramirez (Charlotte Stone Crabs)

The second piece of the four-player trade is Cabrera, who was said to have some of the liveliest stuff in the Rays’ system prior to the deal. Although his control and command need refinement, the lefty throws low-to-mid 90s fastball with riding life coupled with a slider that flashes plus this year. Scouts are split on Cabrera’s profile with the possibility of making it as a set-up man or mid-rotation starter if all comes together.

To round out the trade, Ramirez is a relief-only type prospect. According to reports, he brings an “explosive” mid-90s fastball to the table with a slider and split-finger fastball. He has the ML profile of a lower-leverage reliever.

It appears Williams will be assigned to Memphis which leaves them down a player following the Oscar Mercado trade. Meanwhile, Cabrera and Ramirez have been sent to Springfield.


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