photo: Michael Siani and Brendan Donovan (Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports)
The St. Louis Cardinals had another losing week at 3-4 after adding three major leaguers in trade with three others departing. Post-trade deadline, Michael Siani and Lance Lynn went on the injured list. Our history feature highlights three former Cardinals from 2011 who played with at least eight MLB teams.
Cardinals acquire three players at the deadline
The St. Louis Cardinals waited until the final two days to make any deals, but deal they did. On Monday, July 29, the Cardinals traded for the starting pitcher they wanted, plus a right-handed bat.
Rumors suggested the Cardinals were interested in right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde, but so were other teams. Then, rumors of a three-team deal surfaced, which became a reality. The Cardinals sent utility man Tommy Edman and a rookie league pitcher to the Dodgers. The Dodgers sent three prospects to the Chicago White Sox, and the White Sox sent the Cardinals Fedde and former Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham.
The trade adds a needed starter for the Cardinals, and a right-handed bat that can hit left-handed pitching, a weakness of the current offense.
Fedde, 31, adds to a rotation that has been missing Steven Matz since early May and is also now without Lance Lynn. Matz is currently on a rehab assignment in Memphis after several setbacks delayed his return to the rotation.
Pham, 36, is familiar to Cardinals fans. Drafted by the team, he made his major league debut in 2014. Pham was traded in 2018 and has since played for seven different teams, most recently the White Sox.
The Cardinals made one more trade on the deadline. Outfielder Dylan Carlson was sent to the Tampa Bay Rays for right-handed reliever Shawn Armstrong. A right-handed pitcher for the bullpen was another stated deadline goal by the front office.
Carlson came up through the Cardinals system and made his major league debut in August 2020. Over the last three seasons, injuries have plagued Carlson, and his offense has taken a nosedive. At the time of the trade, Carlson had been relegated to a bench player in the wake of the ascendance of Michael Siani, a much better defender in center field than Carlson. Despite that, if Carlson had been hitting at anything close to an acceptable level, he would likely have played more. As of the deadline, Carlson was hitting below the Mendoza line, and had been for some time.
Carlson was seen as a player who would benefit from a change of scenery, and the Cardinals got the reliver they were seeking. Ironically, Siani is now on the injured list with an oblique strain, and with the trade of last season’s center fielder Edman to the Dodgers, the Cardinals were suddenly caught short at this important defensive position. They had to recall Victor Scott II from the Memphis Redbirds.
Armstrong, 33, has played for 10 seasons in the major leagues with five different teams, most recently the Rays. This season he has posted a 2-2 record and an ERA of 5.40 in 45 innings. The addition of Armstrong, a free agent this fall, comes on the heels of the departure of long-time right-handed reliever Giovanny Gallegos, who cleared waivers and selected free agency on Friday.
Game recaps
Monday, July 29, 2024- Cardinals 3, Rangers 6
The Cardinals fell to the Rangers in the opener of a three-game series at Busch Stadium on Monday. Andre Pallante took the loss. The right hander pitched five innings, gave up three runs on seven hits, fanned five and walked two.
Ryan Fernandez threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning in relief of Pallante. John King finished the sixth. Chris Roycroft surrendered three runs, two earned, in the seventh. Kyle Leahy tossed the final two scoreless innings.
The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. St. Louis answered in the bottom of the third to lead 2-1. Paul Goldschmidt led off with a single. Matt Carpenter followed with a two-run blast to right center field.
Texas quickly responded with two runs in the fourth to take back the lead. The Rangers widened their edge with a three-run seventh inning.
In the home seventh, the Cardinals cut the lead to 6-3. Nolan Arenado, Lars Nootbaar and Goldschmidt singled. With the bases juiced, Michael Siani singled to plate Arenado.
The Cardinals offense scored their three runs on seven hits. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4. Carpenter had two RBI.
Tuesday, July 30, 2024 – Cardinals 8, Rangers 1
The Cardinals came back to defeat the Rangers in the second game of the series on Tuesday. Lance Lynn took the mound for St. Louis. The right hander threw five one-run innings with three hits allowed, three strikeouts and one walk to earn his sixth win of the season.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Lynn and pitched a scoreless sixth. Chris Roycroft tossed two scoreless innings. Kyle Leahy hurled a scoreless ninth.
St. Louis opened scoring in the first inning on a solo home run by Masyn Winn. Texas tied the game in the top of the second.
The Cardinals regained the lead in the home second. Matt Carpenter doubled. Brandon Crawford doubled to score Carpenter. In the third, Alec Burleson walked and came home on a double by Lars Nootbaar to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.
The Cardinals put up five runs in the fifth to jump ahead 8-1. Michael Siani singled and stole second base. Burleson plated Siani on a single. Willson Contreras thumped a base hit. Paul Goldschmidt took a free pass. New Cardinal Tommy Pham, in his first at bat with the Cardinals, clobbered a grand slam to right center field.
In total, the Cardinals scored eight runs on nine hits. Crawford was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Pham had four RBI.
Siani’s stolen base was his 14th of the season. Goldschmidt made a throwing error.
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 – Cardinals 10, Rangers 1
The Cardinals mauled the Rangers in the final game of the series at Busch Stadium on Wednesday. Newly called up Michael McGreevy tossed a gem in his MLB debut. The right-hander went seven innings, gave up one run on seven hits, struck out three and walked one to earn the win.
St. Louis took a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Paul Goldschmidt and Tommy Pham singled. Brendan Donovan singled to score Goldschmidt. Pedro Pagés reached on a fielder’s choice and Pham came home. Michael Siani plated Donovan on a sac bunt.
The Cardinals ran up the score to 8-0 in the fifth. Siani singled and Willson Contreras doubled. Alec Burleson drove in both runners on a single. Nolan Arenado singled. Burleson and Arenado came home on a double by Pham. Pham scored on a single by Brendan Donovan.
The Rangers scored their only run in the sixth. The Cardinals made it 10-1 in the seventh. Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt singled. Matt Carpenter pinch ran for Goldschmidt. Pham singled. Arenado scored on a sac fly by Donovan. Siani drove in Carpenter on a single.
St. Louis scored 10 runs on 14 hits. Pham was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-3 with three RBI. Siani was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Arenado was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Goldschmidt was 2-for-4. Burleson drove in two.
Thursday, August 1, 2024 – Cardinals 4 at Cubs 5
In the first of a four-game set at Wrigley Field, the Cardinals lost to the Cubs in a one run walk off on Thursday. Sonny Gray started and threw seven innings, gave up two runs on five hits, fanned nine and walked one.
JoJo Romero tossed a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley pitched the ninth and blew the save with three runs allowed. Helsley also took the loss.
The Cardinals opened scoring in the first on a solo home run by Paul Goldschmidt. The Cubs tied it up in the second.
Chicago went up 2-1 in the sixth, but the Cardinals came back in the seventh to regain the lead, 4-2. Michael Siani singled. Masyn Winn followed with a two run long ball to left field. Goldschmidt doubled and scored on a single by Nolan Arenado.
St. Louis went into the bottom of the ninth with a 4-2 lead. The Cubs smacked Helsley around for three runs to beat the Cardinals in a demoralizing walk off.
St. Louis offense scored four runs on 12 hits. Winn was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Goldschmidt was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Tommy Pham was 2-for-4. Siani was 2-for-4.
Lars Nootbaar stole his fifth base of the season.
Friday, August 2, 2024 – Cardinals 3 at Cubs 6
The Cardinals were the losers in the second game of the road series with the Cubs by the score of 6-3. New Cardinals starter Erick Fedde did not make a good first impression with this start. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up five runs on six hits and fanned four. Fedde took the loss.
The Cardinals’ new reliever fared better. Shawn Armstrong threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Matthew Liberatore got the final out of the seventh. Kyle Leahy surrendered one unearned run in the eighth.
Chicago scored all five runs against Fedde in the second inning. Fedde was able to limit the damage in his final three innings and keep the Cubs from further damage.
The Cardinals scored one run in the third. Michael Siani and Masyn Winn singled. Willson Contreras drew a walk. Siani came home on a walk to Paul Goldschmidt.
In the top of the eighth, the Cardinals cut Chicago’s lead to 5-3 without the benefit of a hit. Alec Burleson, Nolan Arenado and Lars Nootbaar walked to load the bases. Tommy Pham walked to score Burleson. Another free pass plated Arenado.
The Cubs added a sixth run in the home half eighth to conclude scoring.
The Cardinals scored three runs on four hits. Winn was 2-for-5.
Winn was caught stealing for the fourth time. Kyle Leahy made a throwing error.
Saturday, August 3, 2024 – Cardinals 5 at Cubs 4
What appeared to be an easy third victory for the Cubs made a sudden turn in the final two innings. The Cardinals rallied at the end to beat the Cubs 5-4.
Kyle Gibson took the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander hurled seven innings, gave up four runs on five hits, struck out seven and walked one.
JoJo Romero relieved Gibson in the eighth and received the win with a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth for his 34th save and redemption for his prior appearance.
The Cardinals again opened scoring in the top of the first on a solo home run by Alec Burleson. The Cubs answered with two runs in the home first to take the lead.
Chicago added two more runs in the second. The Cardinals failed to score for six innings, but in the eighth, the team woke up from its snooze and began to play baseball. Burleson drew a walk. Willson Contreras was plunked. Brendan Donovan singled while the Cubs new third baseman made a throwing error that scored Burleson. Nolan Arenado plated Contreras and Donovan on a single and the Cardinals tied the game 4-4.
In the ninth, Tommy Pham tripled and Lars Nootbaar brought him home on a sac fly giving the Cardinals a 5-4 lead and the win.
Arenado was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Donovan was 3-for-4. Pham was 2-for-4.
Sunday, August 4, 2024 – Cardinals 2 at Cubs 6
The Cardinals lost the final game of the series to the rival Cubs by the score of 6-2. Miles Mikolas got the start and was lackluster at best. Mikolas was unable to get an out in the fifth inning. He gave up four runs on eight hits, struck out three and walked two. Mikolas took the loss, as he deserved, his ninth of the season.
The bullpen gave up two more runs. John King surrendered one run in 1 2/3 innings, which was 2/3 of an innings longer than he should have pitched. Ryan Fernandez yielded a run in 1/3 of an innings. Matthew Liberatore and Kyle Leahy combined to keep the Cubs off the board for the final two innings.
The Cardinals’ meager two runs in the third inning came via a home run from one of the few hitters who has actually hit consistently this season, Masyn Winn.
The Cubs went to town on Mikolas, King, and Fernandez for their six runs. It was ugly on national TV Sunday evening.
The offense scored their two runs on only four hits. Winn’s long ball, a Nolan Arenado double, and singles by Willson Contreras and Lars Nootbaar were the only offense.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals again had a losing week, going 3-4 with three losses to the Cubs over the weekend, and one loss to the Rangers. The Cubs series was especially bad, but the Cardinals have now lost three of their last four series. How the team manages to stay out of last place is a mystery.
The offense was plentiful in the Rangers series but disappeared in Chicago. This is the 2024 Cardinals. The top performers by OPS for the week were a new player and two bench players who had 10 ABs combined for the week. They are Matt Carpenter (1.600 in 5 ABs), Tommy Pham (1.123) and Brandon Crawford (1.000 in 5 ABs). Michael Siani (.839) and Masyn Winn (.804) just missed the cut. Siani is out for several weeks now with an oblique strain. An offense of only Masyn Winn and Tommy Pham is not going to carry the team.
At the bottom for the week were Alec Burleson (.492), Willson Contreras (.443), Nolan Gorman (.111) and Pedro Pagés (.000).
The best starting pitching this week came from Michael McGreevy, who came up for a spot start and was immediately sent back down. Starters who had ERAs under 4.00 for the week were McGreevy (1.29), Lance Lynn (1.89), who is also now injured, and Sonny Gray (2.57).
The remaining starters, including Erick Fedde who the Cardinals just acquired, did not pitch well. Kyle Gibson (5.14), Andre Pallante (5.40), Erick Fedde (9.00) and Miles Mikolas (9.00) all need to improve soon. The team can’t win if both the offense and the pitching is underperforming, which is the case currently.
The schedule for the remainder of the season is one of the most difficult in the major leagues. If the team doesn’t perform better soon it isn’t going to be pretty. This sounds like something that has been repeated over and over again all season because it has.
The Cardinals return home and play one game against the Mets on Monday. This is a make-up of a game that was rained out earlier in the season. The next series is at home against the Tampa Bay Rays. They end the week with two games in Kansas City. The Royals, a team currently 13 games over .500, swept the Cardinals in two games in early July.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 62 | 49 | 0.559 | ||
| St. Louis | 57 | 55 | 0.509 | 5.5 | 3 |
| Pittsburgh | 56 | 55 | 0.505 | 6 | 3.5 |
| Chicago | 55 | 59 | 0.482 | 8.5 | 6 |
| Cincinnati | 53 | 58 | 0.477 | 9 | 6.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 7/29 The Cardinals acquired RHP Erick Fedde and OF Tommy Pham in a three-team trade with the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cardinals received Fedde and Pham and cash from the White Sox.
- 7/29 The Cardinals traded CF Tommy Edman and RHP Oliver Gonzalez to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of the three-team trade.
- 7/29 The Cardinals designated C Nick Raposo for assignment to make 40-man roster room for Pham.
- 7/30 The Cardinals traded CF Dylan Carlson to the Tampa Bay Rays for RHP Shawn Armstrong.
- 7/31 The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/31 The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP Michael McGreevy from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/31 The Cardinals recalled RHP Ryan Loutos from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 7/31 The Cardinals placed RHP Lance Lynn on the 15-day injured list. Right knee inflammation.
- 7/31 The Cardinals designated RHP Jacob Bosiokovic for assignment to make 40-man space for McGreevy.
- 8/1 The Cardinals optioned RHP Ryan Loutos to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/1 The Cardinals optioned RHP Michael McGreevy to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/1 The Cardinals sent LHP Steven Matz on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/1 C Nick Raposo was claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays off waivers.
- 8/2 The Cardinals sent RHP Jacob Bosiokovic outright to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/2 The Cardinals released RHP Giovanny Gallegos.
- 8/4 The Cardinals placed CF Michael Siani on the 10-day injured list. Right oblique strain.
The Cardinals have lost an important player for an unknown period, and with the departures of Edman and Carlson, the club has become very thin in center field.
An above average defender and below average hitter, the 25-year-old had been very hot with the bat recently. In his last 31 games, Siani slashed .354/.391/.415/.806, but it is not sustainable as evidenced by his .492 BABIP.
- 8/4 The Cardinals recalled CF Victor Scott II from the Memphis Redbirds.
Scott was with St. Louis for the first month of the season but struggled offensively, with a .274 OPS. In his first exposure to Triple-A, the 23-year-old has slashed just .219/.302/.319/.621 in 74 games.
However, most recently with Memphis, Scott was on a seven-game hitting streak during which he batted .303.
Scott did not start in his first game back with St. Louis. Lars Nootbaar moved into center field for Siani.
Injury Report
- RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 22. Middleton underwent season ending forearm surgery. The right hander will not throw a pitch for the Cardinals this season.
- LHP Drew Rom (left bicep tendinitis and left shoulder surgery) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60 day-injured list on April 30. Rom underwent left shoulder surgery. The left hander is expected to be out until at least September.
- RHP Riley O’Brien (right forearm flexor strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on May 10. O’Brien continues a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds.
- LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list on June 28. Matz has begun a rehab stint with Memphis.
- CF Michael Siani (strained right oblique) was placed on the 10-day injured list. Siani strained his oblique on his second at bat in Saturday’s game against the Cubs.
Looking Ahead
Following the series at Wrigley Field, the Cardinals return to St. Louis to play a rain makeup game with the Mets on Monday, August 5. Tuesday marks the opening of a three-game home set with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The team leaves on a road trip following the Rays series. The Cardinals go to Kansas City for two to complete the home and home series. After an odd Sunday off, they will travel to Cincinnati to face the Reds for three.
After another travel day on Thursday the 15th, the Cardinals begin a weekend series at Busch Stadium with the Dodgers. Next, the first-place Brewers will come to St. Louis for a three-game series beginning Tuesday, July 20.
The team then travels to Minnesota for a weekend series against the Twins.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past begins a new series that showcases former Cardinals who played for many teams in their career.
The Cardinals recently reacquired Tommy Pham in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. Pham began his major league career with the Cardinals in 2014 and remained with St. Louis until he was traded in 2018. Since that time, Pham has played for seven additional teams.
Two other players currently on the roster also began as Cardinals, left to play for multiple other teams, and then returned. Matt Carpenter played for two teams (Yankees, Padres) and Lance Lynn has been with five teams (White Sox, Rangers, Twins, Dodgers, and Yankees).
This series looks at players who at one time played for the Cardinals and also played for at least eight teams in their careers. They did not necessarily start with the Cardinals nor play for them more than one time. A career arc like that of Tommy Pham is a rare feat.
The following is a list of players who played for the Cardinals and for multiple franchises in their career. The name of the player, the dates he played for the Cardinals, and the other teams he played for is noted. We start with players who have played for the most teams and go down in number.
This first installment covers three players who were with more than 10 teams in their career, including for the Cardinals, and who all played for their 2011 team. Two of the three participated in the World Series, but the final one did not.
Edwin Jackson – Jackson, like Pham, was acquired by the Cardinals in a multi team trade that included the Chicago White Sox. Jackson was originally drafted by the Dodgers and made his major league debut with them.
The Cardinals acquired Jackson in a mid-season trade in 2011. Jackson was on the roster of the Chicago White Sox and was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 27, 2011. That same day the Blue Jays flipped Jackson to the Cardinals along with the second player on this list and several others. The Cardinals sent Colby Rasmus, P.J. Walters, Trever Miller and Brian Tallet to Toronto.
Jackson was only with the Cardinals through the end of the 2011 season. He played for 14 teams in his career. They are the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays.
Jackson played for the Nationals and the Tigers twice. His last major league season was in Detroit. He also signed a minor league contract with the Diamondbacks in 2020 but did not play because of the Covid-19 epidemic that cancelled the minor league season.
Octavio Dotel – Dotel was acquired by the Cardinals in the same multi team trade as Edwin Jackson. Like Jackson, the reliever only remained in St. Louis through the 2011 season.
Dotel played for 13 teams in total. Dotel left the Cardinals to play for Detroit, where he spent his final two seasons.
Dotel began his career with the New York Mets. His other homes were the Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, and Detroit Tigers.
Miguel Batista – Batista signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals on January 14, 2011 and made the roster out of spring training.
Batista started the infamous rain delay switcheroo against the Cincinnati Reds. That game was played on April 22, and Manager Tony La Russa, sensing that a rain delay was coming, switched Batista in for scheduled starter Kyle McClellan. The Reds started the game with their scheduled starter and lost that starter after the rain began and a two-hour rain delay ensued. When the game resumed, LaRussa put in Kyle McClellan as originally planned.
Batista did not survive the season as he was released by the Cardinals on June 22, 2011.
Batista played for 11 teams in his career. They are the Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves.
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