Cardinals get help defensively at third base

Newly-acquired third baseman Pedro Feliz

The Saint Louis Cardinals acquired third baseman Pedro Feliz today from the Houston Astros in exchange for minor league pitcher Bob Carpenter. The 35-year-old played his first 8 seasons in San Francisco with the Giants before a 2-year stint with the Philadelphia Phillies. Feliz signed with the Houston Astros after he was released by the Phillies last off-season.

Feliz has just 8 errors on 139 chances at the hot corner so far this season. This is a definite upgrade from Lopez who has committed 10 errors this season and just does not look comfortable at 3rd base. Lopez has struggled over the last few games, increasing the need for an upgrade at third base. In his defense (no pun intended), Flip is a natural 2nd baseman/shortstop, but with David Freese out for the season, the team has relied heavily on him defensively and he simply has not delivered.

The acquisition of Feliz definitely has most fans scratching their heads. While he is an upgrade on defense, Feliz is a major downgrade to an offense that has been suffering from inconsistency all season and is currently in another slump. In 97 games with Houston, Feliz hit just .221 with 4 homers and 31 RBIs. He has also whiffed 31 times this season.

Despite his disappointing numbers with Houston, GM John Mozeliak is confident that Feliz’s performance will improve drastically in the Cardinals line-up. Another reason for optimism with Feliz offensively is that he is a career .288 hitter at Busch Stadium, his 3rd highest among National League ballparks.

Catcher-turned-relief pitcher Bob Carpenter, the player Saint Louis sent to Houston, was 5-3 with a 2.36 ERA and 20 saves in Class A Palm Beach.

To make room for Feliz on the roster, the team placed back-up catcher Jason LaRue on the 60-day disabled list. LaRue suffered a concussion after being kicked multiple times in the head by Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto in a brawl last week.

After speaking with our medical staff and consulting with other experts, we have come to the conclusion to put Jason LaRue on the 60-day disabled list. We believe this is in the best interest for Jason and his future. We will continue to monitor his progress and seek the best medical expertise concerning his situation. Part of his required rehabilitation, at this point, is rest."-GM John Mozeliak

Despite carving up starting pitcher Chris Carpenter’s back and busting up LaRue’s lip and giving him a season-ending concussion, Cueto was suspended for just seven games, the equivalency of 1 start.

Since the Cardinals swept the Reds in Cincy, they have gone 1-4 while the Reds are 5-0 and 3 games up in the NL Central. The way these two teams have been playing recently, it’s hard to believe that the Cardianls were 1-game up on the Reds this time last week.

The Cardinals will host the San Francisco Giants for a weekend series, while the Reds head out to Los Angeles after wrapping up a 4-game series with the Diamondbacks in Arizona tonight. The Birds’ upcoming series with the Giants has big implications on the NL Wild Card race as the two are in a virtual tie for 2nd place, 2-games behind the Phillies.

POST NUMBER 99