Veteran third baseman Mark DeRosa, the subject of trade rumors for weeks, will be departing Cleveland for St. Louis, after less than a year with the Indians.
DeRosa was hitting .270 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI in 71 games. In exchange, the Indians will receive relief pitcher Chris Perez and a player to be named later, likely a highly-rated prospect. Perez has made 29 appearances this season, with a 4.18 ERA and 30 strikeouts
While DeRosa’s versatility will be valuable to the Cardinals in the long-term, he will likely be slotted into third base, where he provides a major offensive upgrade over Khalil Greene.
If Troy Glaus continues to make progress in rehabbing his shoulder, DeRosa could also see time at second base, allowing Skip Schumacher to return to the outfield, where he has traditionally played. He could also spell Ryan Ludwick or Rick Ankiel in the corner outfield positions.
Ludwick was rumored to be on the move for Matt Holliday, but this deal likely scuttles any possibility of Holliday becoming a Cardinal.
Perez will likely serve as the eighth-inning option for the Indians, whose bullpen has struggled recently. Kerry Wood has blown two of his last three saves and given up runs in each of his last three outings, causing his ERA to climb to 5.68.
While Perez has never been a closer, the Indians have few other late inning options with experience closing games. Matt Herges, who was called up last month, was a closer for the Giants in 2004, but he is 39-years-old and hasn’t recorded a save since his stint as the Giant.
Cleveland has taken other steps to shake up their bullpen; Jensen Lewis was demoted today to make room for Jose Veras, who the Indians acquired from the Yankees for cash considerations. Veras was 3-1 with a 5.74 ERA in 26 appearances this year for the Yankees.
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