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Cardinals deal top pitching prospect to Indians for Brandon Moss

By Jonathan Bass

Jul 6, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians right fielder Brandon Moss (44) hits an RBI triple in the fourth inning against the Houston Astros at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 6, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians right fielder Brandon Moss (44) hits an RBI triple in the fourth inning against the Houston Astros at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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St. Louis is shipping one of its top pitching prospects to the Indians in exchange for Brandon Moss.

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The St. Louis Cardinals have reportedly agreed to ship one of their talented young pitching prospects, Rob Kaminsky, to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Brandon Moss. The deal is a clean one-for-one trade, with the Cards taking on the entirety of Moss’s contract (he’s eligible for arbitration in 2016).

In Moss, the Cardinals land a corner outfielder and first baseman who has the ability to hit for some power. On the season Moss is batting .217 with 15 home runs and 50 RBI. However, his numbers have been in decline since mid-June and he slumped through July by batting a paltry .177.

For the Indians, the deal appears to be a steal. Kaminsky was the Cardinals’ first-round selection in 2013 and was listed as the team’s No. 3 overall prospect at the time of the trade. With a filthy curve (65 on the 20-80 scale) and a fastball that tops out in the low-to-mid 90s, the 20-year-old possesses an incredibly high ceiling. In 17 starts in the minors this season, Kaminsky owns an ERA of 2.06, 79 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.16.

While it initially appears like the Cards were fleeced in a play for now/mortgage the future deal, the team is flush with young arms in the minors. Ten of the franchise’s top-20 prospects are pitchers. So while it’s never ideal to give up the top lefty in your system, the Cards’ well is deep enough to handle the hit. Especially when a player like Moss can come in and spell some games while Matt Holliday battles a nagging quad injury.

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