The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired first
baseman-designated hitter Jose Martinez from St. Louis in a trade
that sends left-hander Matthew Liberatore, one of the Rays’ top
minor league pitching prospects, to the Cardinals.
The Cardinals also sent outfielder Randy Arozarena and a Compensation Round A draft
pick to the Rays and in return, the Cardinals also get minor league catcher Edgardo Rodriguez
and a Compensation Round B draft pick.
The 31-year-old Martinez is a career .298 hitter over parts of four
seasons with the Cardinals. He batted .269 with 10 home runs and 42
RBIs in 128 games last season, when a right shoulder sprain
sidelined him for three weeks in August. He hit .305 in 2018.
Arozarena, 24, major league debut last season, hitting .300 in 19 games
over two stints with the Cardinals.
The Rays selected Liberatore with the 16th overall pick in the June
2018 draft. The 20-year-old went 6-2 with a 3.10 ERA over 15 starts
with Class A Bowling Green last season. Rodriguez, 19, played 51
games for the Dominican Summer League Rays in 2018, but was limited
to 10 games with the Gulf Coast League Rays last season.
I would first like to say thank you to the Tampa Bay Rays for giving me a first class experience and the opportunity to live out my dream. With that being said, I am beyond excited to begin a new chapter as a Cardinal and represent the city of St. Louis. Let’s go Cards! #STLCards pic.twitter.com/5ZXiaFngFf
— Matthew Liberatore (@libby3232) January 10, 2020
