Just hours after losing left fielder Matt Holliday to a quadriceps strain for the second time this season with the severity still unknown, St. Louis recognized their need to add a bat to the lineup. Holliday's injury along with Matt Adams severe quad strain put two holes in the Cardinals' lineup and they found the perfect solution.
St. Louis struck a deal with the Cleveland Indians, sending pitching prospect Rob Kaminsky for 1B/OF Brandon Moss. SB Nation's Chris Cotillo first reported the deal
Moss was traded to the Indians back in December, in return the Oakland Athletics received infield prospect Joey Wendle. At the time, Moss was coming off a 2014 seaosn where he hit 25 home runs with a .772 OPS. Cleveland hoped the move to Progressive Field with Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana surrounding him in the lineup. If he could return to his 2013 numbers,when he hit .256 with 30 home runs and a .859 OPS, everything would be great.
The Indians certainly have disappointed this season with a 46-54 record. It's been a collection of problems for the Indians and a small part of that is Moss, whose .217 batting average, .695 OPS and 15 home runs just wasn't enough for his defensive limitations. So when the Cardinals called asking what they wanted for the all-or-nothing slugger, Cleveland took advantage.
Adams will step in right away as the Cardinals' first baseman with the ability to play left field when needed. St. Louis has plenty of hitters who can get on base, but they need a big, thumper to drive them in and provide a power threat. Moss provides them what they need. The left-handed hitter is unlikely to return to the .250 hitter from 2013, but a return to a high .700 OPS and 10-plus home runs for the Cardinals would fill a void. Moss is arbitration eligible in 2016, then becomes a free agent in 2017.
It came at an expensive cost and Cleveland should receive plenty of props and appreciation from across the league. In exchange for Moss, Cleveland receives 20-year-old righty Rob Kaminsky. The 28th overall pick in the 2013 Amateur Draft, Kaminsky stands has a smaller frame at 5'11" and 190 lbs. Kaminsky's first season in rookie ball was solid, allowing nine earned runs with a 28/9 K/BB ratio 22 innings.
After the 2013 season, Kaminsky has simply dominated between a-ball and high-A. Last season for the Peoria Chiefs, Kaminsky had an oustanding 1.88 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with a 79/31 K/BB ratio in 18 starts. He dominated opposing hitters, limiting them to a .194 batting average. Kaminsky carried that success over into this season with high-A Lynchburg, in 17 starts he holds a 2.09 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and .228 opposing batting average. Kaminsky is far beyond his years in maturity and knowing how to pitch, while showing impressive command and a nice arsenal of pitches. There will always be knocks on his size but his command, pitching I.Q. and tools will help him become a quality starter in the future for Cleveland.
Fantasy Impact:
Fantasy owners should not expect Moss to return to his peak numbers, his career lines just show that he won't be that type of player. He will still see RBI opportunities, as the Indians and Cardinals were almost equal in runs scored (396 for St. Louis, 392 for Cleveland). Moss' numbers could see a slight uptick, especially with the reputation of St. Louis' coaches to get more out of players, but his second half numbers shouldn't be more than 12 home runs with a .240 average and .770 OPS.