The Cardinals have announced the acquisition of first baseman/outfielder Brandon Moss from the Indians in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect Rob Kaminsky.
With the acquisition of Moss, the Cardinals will add a powerful left-handed bat to their lineup that will replace the injured Matt Adams, who is likely to miss the remainder of the season due to a torn quadriceps muscle. In Adams’ absence, Mark Reynolds has been seeing the lion’s share of playing time at first base, though one would imagine that Moss will now inherit those duties.
The Cardinals are also facing a potential loss of Matt Holliday, who last night injured the same quadriceps muscle that he tore earlier this season. There’s no definitive word on the severity of the injury just yet — he underwent an MRI last night — but an extended absence would be a blow to the Cardinals’ offense that could be partially offset by the addition of Moss. Should Holliday miss a prolonged stretch, Moss is capable of handling the corner outfield, but the Cardinals already have top prospect Stephen Piscotty on the big league roster, and he could slide into left field in that scenario.
Moss was acquired by Cleveland this past offseason in a one-for-one swap that sent second base prospect Joey Wendle to the Athletics. The lefty slugger, who averaged 25 homers per season from 2012-14 in Oakland, has again displayed power in his lone season with Cleveland (15 homers, .190 ISO). However, his walk and strikeout rates have trended in the wrong direction, leaving him with a sub-par .217/.288/.407 batting line on the season. That production is a far cry from the .254/.340/.504 output he showed in his three full seasons with Oakland, though it’s worth wondering if he’s still feeling any lingering effects from offseason hip surgery.
The 31-year-old Moss has typically struggled versus left-handed pitching, and while that should remain the expectation moving forward, the opposite has held true in 2015. Moss is hitting .265/.336/.453 in 131 plate appearances against same-handed pitchers but has just a .191/.262/.382 batting line against righties. Much of the struggles against righties is due to a .221 BABIP when holding the platoon advantage, so one would expect that his production may very well rise with some better fortune. He is, after all, still hitting line drives at a 20.5 percent clip and has actually lowered his infield fly rate.
Moss is earning $6.55MM in 2015 and is controllable through the 2016 season — the Cards will have to sort out the roster when he and Adams are both healthy — but it does seem as though St. Louis paid a steep price in this swap.
The 20-year-old Kaminsky was one of two Cardinals first-round picks in 2013 (Marco Gonzales was the other) and currently ranked as their No. 4 prospect on Baseball America’s midseason update of the team’s top prospects. MLB.com was even more bullish on their own midseason update, ranking him third in the Cardinals’ organization and 88th in all of baseball.
Kaminsky has spent the season pitching at the Class-A Advanced level, where he has a 2.09 ERA with 7.5 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9. In their scouting report, Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com write that Kaminsky’s fastball sits in the 89-92 mph range and can touch 95 mph when he needs it, adding that he has the best curveball in the team’s minor league system. His changeup gives him a third pitch that can be solid-average or better. Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel would seem to agree, as he pegs Kaminsky’s curveball as a potential 60-grade pitch (on the 20-80 scale), with his fastball, changeup and command all coming in at 50 (average) or better.
St. Louis reportedly discussed Adam Lind with the division-rival Brewers before agreeing to this swap, but it looks as though talks failed to progress, as I wouldn’t imagine they’ll acquire both Moss and Lind, who have somewhat redundant skill sets. Assuming no money changes hands, the Cardinals will be on the hook for about $2.47MM of Moss’ remaining salary.
Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the one-for-one deal was in place (Twitter link). SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reported late last night that the two sides were discussing a trade involving Moss and Kaminsky.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
meh
An Ok addition but the Cardinals still need to go out and get Lind.
Would the Cards trade for two different left-handed hitting first basemen?
That doesn’t seem likely.
Would you please give up on Lind. We now have two of him on the team we don’t need the real thing.
I don’t think Moss’s .217 AVG and Reynolds .227 is the same as Lind’s .283.
Yeah I guess you are right. This trade just makes me sick. He could have been packaged for a bat and possibly another starting pitcher (which we need).
My mind is swirling. I just cant believe we only get a .217 hitter for Kaminsky. Maybe someone else is in the deal. Idk, it just doesn’t seem like a Cardinals move.
We could have packaged Kaminsky with some lower prospects and probably had Lind & Gomez from the Brewers and filled both needs in one trade.
The Brewers were getting Wheeler+ for Gomez alone. Add in Lind and the fact it’s an intra – division trade, it would have been MUCH more than Kaminsky.
That would just make too much sense though. That trade gets us the offense to win a World Series. The trade for Moss makes us have to pitch a shutout every game of the playoffs to win the world series.
Yeah, this is totally unrealistic. Lind and Gomez would probably center around Reyes.
Yeah, that’s not nearly enough. If I were Mo and going to give up Kaminsky, I’d have offered anybody not named Reyes in the farm system plus Piscotty and Kaminsky for Cargo. I have a hard time believing the Rockies wouldn’t have taken that.
seems like they already have someone on the roster who fits the high power low average description in reynolds
Yeah, seems repetitive. I guess Moss and Reynolds can platoon.
Except despite being left handed Moss actually hits lefties better. This year he’s hitting .265 of lefties and a dismal .191 vs righties, making a traditional platoon seem to not fit.
I liked the move but we still need a another bat!
You don’t bank well do you?
Wow, the A’s got absolutely hosed in that trade. Rob Kaminsky is no joke, but Joey Wendle definitely is.
Ever get the impression that Billy Beane runs an algorithm that selects prospects based on their names ability to score in Scrabble?
It was a salary dump. Moss was coming off of surgery from a condition that caused him to have a terrible 2nd half of 2014. Not many teams were willing to take on $13M or so of salary commitments to find out if he could still hit. Considering the return, the Indians may be the only ones.
Are you kidding me? A top pitching prospect for a .217 hitter! Id rather call up somebody who could do that and accept that nothing will change! Ugh!
Call up who exactly? They have no one in the organization that has power from the left side and plays 1st.
If this is all we got from the Indians for one of our top pitching prospects Mo needs to be fired. We should have at least got a pitcher for him as well. This was an irresponsible knee jerk reaction from our GM who could have used Kaminsky in a package to net us a lot more than a Mark Reynolds clone.
You are overrating Kaminsky. He’s a possible mid-rotation starter that is a borderline top 100 prospect. He doesn’t strike out many and it’s quite possible he’s never anything more than an average #5 starter.
I know he wasn’t a high prospect in MLB but he was OUR #4 prospect so what’s that tell you. He was more valuable in a package deal I think than individually.
Tells you that your #4 prospect isn’t the #4 in many farm systems.
A 20-year, 2 years removed from being a 1st round pick who has found his way onto top-100 prospect lists are typically worth more than guys with a sub-.700 OPS, though. Given his current $6.5 mil salary, Moss is a serious non-tender candidate at season’s end. To give up anything of actual value for that is a head scratcher.
Then again, Kaminsky is now the third 1st round pick from the 2013 class to be traded (Moran, McKinney) – and all 3 trades have been panned by critics for not getting enough back in return. So maybe there’s a reason none of these guys are bringing much back…
Pretty sure #4 is exactly where you expect to borderline top-100 guy like Kaminsky in most systems.
Anyone that took a pitcher from the Braves John Schuerholz in the 80’s or 90’s found that what they got was not what they expected. he never gave up a good pitcher – just a lot that were going to be good.
Then the Cardinals trade you a young pitcher like that for a rental of Moss’ ability, I wouldn’t bank on Kaninsky being a rotation mainstay for anyone in 3 years.
Good. I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees it that way. As a Cubs fan, I’ve come to the point where I don’t second-guess the Cardinals because they don’t make many – if any – mistakes, but this just doesn’t seem right on the surface. I feel like I have to be missing something here, but I can’t figure out what…
Maybe Brandon Moss is code for Michael Brantley.
Trading for another Mark Reynolds doesn’t seem like a world series winning trade.
why. just why. we already have a guy who can’t hit playing 1B. Lind makes way more sense. If this is our only bat we are in trouble.
I agree. I thought Lind made way too much sense for the Cardinals. You have to feel like they could’ve gotten him for Kaminsky…
Kaminsky and maybe 2 lower prospects they could have gotten Lind and Gomez. But now we have lost our best trading chip.
eh, I don’t want Gomez. I’ve spent way too much energy hating him and I just don’t think I could ever root for him. He’s just such a tool.
No way Kaminsky and 2 lower prospects were getting Lind and Gomez. If Kaminsky returned Moss then you have to believe the Brewers were asking more than that for Lind as he seemed to be the Cards first choice, so they were just gonna throw in Gomez for another lower prospect?
My point was and still is, that there was a better trade potential out there that Kaminsky could have been packaged for in order to accommodate both needs at first base and the outfield bat of Holliday.
Not a lot of options out there for a 1B and OF package. Lind and Gomez/Parra or Votto and Byrd would be the obvious ones, but it would take a kings ransom to make either of those happen within the division. I agree that this trade seems questionable, but Moss can technically play both 1B and OF.
stl4ever-how can you know FOR SURE there was a “better trade potential out there” that Kaminsky could have been in? Are you a member of the Cards FO? You don’t know what Kaminsky’s value was to other teams, only how internet scouts value him.
Plus, a Brewers deal would have been jacked up price because it’s interdivision, and I doubt the Cards want to send a rival young talent for Adam Lind
This is a Peggy Lee addition–“Is that all there is?” The Cardinals need to do more.
I have the feeling that this isnt the last move Mo makes. I also hope this isnt the last move Mo makes.
I do believe this is the last move and I think what we have here is a gift to the Indians.
Wow. The Indians are making a habit out of getting a decent prospect for a broken player from St. Louis. Not a fan of this move.
This was totally irresponsible from our GM. He should have been used in a package to get something better. Joey Votto or Ryan Howard was a better option than what we got.
It would have taken more than Kaminsky for a team within the division to hand over Votto.
I said he could have been used in a package and not in a 1 for 1 swap. But if we want to stay with the 1 for 1 he could have gotten us Ryan Howard with Philly eating some of the contract.
Moss wRC+: 94; Howard wRC+: 97. Howard would have been a terrible move as well.
Ryan Howard:
2013: 112 WRC+
2014: 94 WRC+
2015: 97 WRC +
Brandon Moss:
2013: 137 WRC+
2014:121 WRC+
2015: 94 WRC +
There are Reds fans lining up to strap the Cardinals with Vottos contract.
For 2016 alone, I can give you 25 million reasons not to trade for Howard. And an additional 10-23 million reasons in 2017.
Like who?
Crossing my fingers for this deal to “fall through”.
Hopefully there is more to this deal. this can’t really be a 1 for 1 swap. Every GM is in the league is calling the cardinals now to see what they will offer for their .200 hitters.
The truth is though, this is purely a bench move. We did need a bat on the bench with some pop, and unlike Reynolds, Moss can play OF as well. I don’t HATE the player, I just don’t think it was a fair return. You can’t discount having a player like Reynolds or Moss on the bench, which has been atrocious recently.
Horrible trade. What use do we have for Moss when he is no better or worse than Reynolds. Don’t even tell me that we are going to field a lineup with moss in left and reynolds at first! Along with Carpenters issues at the plate we will have twice as many k’s as hits. Would have liked to see them trade for Lind and Parra. Maybe give up something like bourjos, pham, gonzales.
Moss is a Royals killer….for what that’s worth..
Hardly…only good stats against players that aren’t pitching anymore or wont be in the playoffs
Put up some solid stats in Oakland… And could certainly be beneficial in an at bat matchup….regardless if he looks like he has value 4 abs a game. If he’s a pinch hit move…its decent
I’ll just say no matter what his stats say…he’s been all over some Royals pitching…and certainly was in that play in game. If that scenario shakes out in a world series this fall…Moz will look like a savant.
Another way of thinking about this: 9th inning, down by 1 run.
Pinch hitting for Pitcher is:
A) Pete Kozma
B) Either Mark Reynolds or Brandon Moss.
I’ll take B every day of the week and twice on SUnday.
Cardinals are very good at spreading risk around a roster
This is absolutely embarrassing by Mozeliak. With Wainwright, Adams, and now likely Holliday gone for the season, this knee-jerk desperate trade that was a result of the Indians GM exploiting Mozeliak was not needed.
I would rather have had the Cardinals stick to who they have, not make any more deals, and bow out early in the playoffs this year. Much better chance of winning next year with Wainwright, Adams, Holliday back, and next year Kaminsky would potentially be a top 50 prospect at the deadline – who could then be moved for an actual rental for a World Series run.
Way to go, Mo.
Apparently, Mo doesn’t think as highly of Kaminsky as most do. I have to think he knows something we dont. On the surface it looks like a terrible trade. Rangers might have given you Moreland for a similar deal.
Bingo on the stuff before the Moreland part.
Cardinals brain trust sucking hind tit on this trade. Indians must have changed their passwords.
Watch what happens. Royals and Cardinals will meet in an I-70 Series and Moss will come to bat with Game 7 on the line and a right on the hill
Cardinals cannot continue to expect magic to occur.
He’s potentially a pinch hitter
If that’s the case they should pinch hit with Reynolds. Despite being a lefty Moss cannot hit righties this year. (making this trade a complete mystery to me)
They can pinch hit with both Reynolds and Moss. The Cardinals are excellent at spreading risk around a roster. Much like someone who invests in the market for security.
Yes they can both pinch hit, and it strengthens their bench a little, but I don’t see this solving their immediate needs. Despite what the author says I could still see them making a run at Lind and Moss being used as OF and 1B depth only. After all, we did just see the Angles trade for 3 OF in the matter of hours.
HE is batting .227 against KC this year and only 20% of his starts have been against there starting rotation now. He mainly faced Varas( gone), Guthrie(gone) and the 5th starter Young…. only top pitcher he faced was Ventura. 12 games: 3 multi hit games (2) of those games are were on Guthrie who isn’t even a starting pitcher any more since the Cueto trade. Not hardly a ROYAL KILLER…maybe in the past but not this year.
Yeah maybe….but start increasing velocity on him. I like his odds in a pinch hit match up… Not that anyone has great odds on the Royals back end eighties…but he’s hit them hard in the past…not just long but hard…hard lines…hard fouls….just loud
Moss is batting terrible against RHP this year. He’s better against LHP
For some reason, Brandon Moss could NOT hit at Progressive Field. This season his home/away splits re:
Home:
163 AB, .190/.276/.294/.570, 2 HR, 60 K,
Away:
174 AB, .241/.300/.511/.811, 13 HR, 46 K
Let’s hope he finds Busch Stadium more to his liking.
If this is the full trade then Mo needs to be fired.
….and we hear from the Cardinals back slappers who hate the GM when Pujols isn’t resigned….then love the GM and toast him as a genius…but not when he deals #4 organizational prospects for a matchup bat…andnone that particularly crushes AL pitchers in a potential world series matchup
Cardinals make the series and have to face Wade Davis or Greg Holland….Moss is the hombre you want at the dish.
KC top 4 pitchers in the playoffs: Cueto he is batting .100 with 10 AB, Volquez he is .000 0/9, Duffy .000 0/2. Ventura 2/10. And in the pen Holland/Davis/Hererra… he is 5/18. Not very impressive and if you add the 6th inning guys MOrales/Madson he is 2/10. NO royal Killer.
I don’t expect crushing stats against that back end….but in a pinch hit matchup they can do worse…these are the guys every playoffs that make a difference. They matchup.
What’s up with Mo trading former 1st round draft picks to Cleveland? James Ramsey for Masterson last year and now Rob Kaminsky. Was Mo a Indians fan growing up and still have a soft spot for the Indians. I’m all for trading from minor league depth, but get someone who will have a big impact on the struggling offense. Afraid this will be another Mark Reynolds type. I expect more than this from Mozeliak. Hope he proves us wrong but doubt it.
The Cardinals should just stop trading with the Indians. They traded James Ramsey for Justin Masterson last season and now Rob Kaminsky for Brandon Moss…..two woefully under performing players for two good prospects at the time.
Should have went after Cespedes
The only way the Cardinals should ever make another trade with Cleveland is if they were to make “Wild thing Ricky Vaughn” available.
I’m not sure why everyone is so high on Rob Kaminsky. I feel like the Cardinals didn’t give up much in this trade. One a-ball prospect that doesn’t strike too many guys out with his most forseeable future being a 4th/5th starter for guy thats hit 25 HR 3 years in a row. Its not like he’s the bat they need for a WS but they didn’t give up much to get him and could still make another move for a bat.
Its a good trade if they get a starting big bat to add to it. But if not, and this is the only move, then the Cardinals will be in trouble. Cardinals cant expect to go into the postseason and contend for a World Series with this lineup against teams like the Dodgers, Nationals, Royals, Etc.
nice get by the Indians;
i guess Cards can look trade Moss or non-tender him after the season, the way he’s steadily declined.
I feel like they could of gotten Lind for the same price.
Highly doubt it. Lind was obviously their first choice so I doubt they paid the same for their backup plan.
Not intra-division…Lind’s price tag was probably a lot higher.
What I’m really hoping here is that when Carlos Gonzalez steps off the plane to St. Louis to play today’s game, that someone’s made a phone call telling him to head over to the other training room instead. Or on the way out. Whatever. Either way, I think if Holliday is going to be out for any length of time, getting a guy who can start every day in the outfield instead of going with a random rookie rotation in both right and left, seems like a better idea.
I don’t know what the Rockies are expecting for him though, maybe it’s crazy. I’d sure think about giving them someone half decent though, since this team needs guys who can at least think about hitting .300 and a good amount of home runs. The rest of the team isn’t getting it done often enough as was evident in last night’s sad inability to score in a 1 run game.
Marty Kovarik @martyk23
@miklasz When I went to bed last night, the Cardinals needed at least one bat. Now they need at least one bat and a top pitching prospect.
priceless….
It is funny reading the remarks made and fans are complaining about a Kaminsky for Moss trade. Toronto fans have you beat and Toronto traded away Hoffman, Castro, to Colorado for Tulo and then turned around and traded Norris, Labourt and Boyd for 12 starts of Price. Five future TOR arms that were thrown away and St. Louis fans complain about losing a fifth slot pitcher – if that. lol. That is priceless. lol.
Well Toronto could win the WS with these trades. sometimes you have to go for it.
This trade makes me sick to my friggin stomach. I want to throw up on Mo’s face!
Yes! Been wanting to let go of this scro since the Tribe signed him…good riddance!
cardinals got fleeced
I’ve been following baseball for 45 years now and can’t remember a trade deadline like this one. I believe that it’s a sign of the game, social media, and the overall state of baseball today. I’m enjoying it, and think it’s awesome.
Moss is a streaky player, but he can go on runs where hit crunches HR’s in bunches. Don’t know if he was worth that young pitcher but I don’t think this is a lose-lose for STL.
I think as an added bat it is a good trade…he’s an a ball pitcher! Who cares is this A ball guy gonna help win this year? As a lifelong pirates fan I’ve noticed yinz don’t make a lotta bad deals. God I hate the cards.
I think as an added bat it is a good trade…he’s an a ball pitcher! Who cares is this A ball guy gonna help win this year? As a lifelong pirates fan I’ve noticed yinz don’t make a lotta bad deals. God I hate the cards. One note couldn’t Morse have been acquires for cash?
I think Mo’s banking on the Brandon Moss from Royals-A’s wild card game. At least we’ll be guaranteed a 2016 version of Mark Reynolds for the bench and platooning, but phew! Kaminsky is a hefty price tag.