St. Louis Cardinals Trade Shelby Miller To Atlanta Braves For Jason Heyward

In a very surprise move, the Atlanta Braves traded in outfielder Jason Heyward as well as pitcher Jordan Walden to the St. Louis Cardinals intended for pitchers Shelby Miller and also Tyrell Jenkins.

The 25-year-old Heyward had been a first-round pick in 2007 and it has won two Rare Gold Glove awards. Within 2014, he hit .271 with 11 home runs and fifty eight RBI with 20 steals.

One of the most highly touted players in recent memory space, Heyward has had a difficult time living up towards the lofty expectations. Within five seasons, Heyward includes a .262 batting average with 84 home runs within 681 games. He made the particular All-Star team within his rookie time of year. He will be a free agent subsequent offseason.

Right field became a place of need for that Cardinals after the death of Oscar Taveras within October.

In swap, the Braves arrived a talented younger arm in Miller. The righty concluded third in Nationwide League Rookie from the Year voting within 2013, posting a 15-9 record which has a 3. 06 ERA in 31 starts. The 24-year-old battled early in 2014, nevertheless had a 2. 92 ERA after the All-Star break and also finished the season 10-9 with a 3. 74 ERA for that NL Central champs. In the postseason, he gave up 6 earned goes in 9 1/3 innings. Miller is often a year away through arbitration, meaning Altlanta will control him for four periods.

Walden, 27, has been essentially the most consistent relievers within baseball since his debut in 2010 and adds a lot more depth to the Cardinals' bullpen. He was a great All-Star in 2011 during his time with all the Los Angeles Angels regarding Anaheim, saving 34 games that season. He was traded to the Braves after the 2012 year. Within his career, Walden includes a 3. 10 ERA in 231 games.

Jenkins was considered among the Cardinals' top prospects. The 21-year-old right-hander invested 2014 in Class A and it has a 4. 23 ERA across 5 minor league seasons.

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The above story is based on materials provided by the usatoday.com and image credit sbnation.com.

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St. Louis Cardinals Outfielder Oscar Taveras Dies In Car Crash At Age 22

Oscar Taveras, a promising outfielder for your St. Louis Cardinals, died in a car accident inside the Dominican Republic upon Sunday. He was 22.

Word of Taveras’s death spread through the early innings regarding Game 5 from the World Series in AT&T Park, exactly where Taveras played their final game Oct. 16, in the 5th game from the National League Champion Series. He homered within his first and also last games with St. Louis: in his debut upon May 31 and in the Cardinals’ last home playoff game this specific month.

“I merely can’t believe this, ” Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said in a statement. “I 1st achieved Oscar when he was sixteen years of age and will once and for all remember him as a wonderful young man who had been a gifted athlete by having an infectious love for life who lived every single day to the fullest. ”

Taveras was graded by Baseball America along with outlets as the actual No. 3 prospect in the game before this year. His breakout year was 2012, while he hit 23 homers while hitting .321 in Class AA. After injuries sidetracked him this past year, he hit .318 with 8 homers in sixty two games at Class AAA this year.

Taveras appeared within 80 games for the Cardinals this season, hitting .239 with 3 homers, actively playing mostly within right field. He was expected to compete for the starting job inside spring training.

This is actually the first death of the active major leaguer since Greg Halman, this Seattle Mariners outfielder, died after being stabbed by his own brother inside the Netherlands in 2011. This Cardinals are actually touched by other tragedies in recent years, including the loss of life of pitchers Darryl Kile, with the heart defect in 2002, and also Josh Hancock, in a vehicle crash in 2007.

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The above story is based on materials provided by www.nytimes.com and image credit redbirdrants.com.

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