**St. Louis Cardinals send 1997 St. Louis Cardinals 5th round pick and CF Alex Diaz to the Seattle Pilots for RP Derek Lilliquist.
Ah, the pre-deadline madness. St. Louis has once again gone dumpster diving for cheap pitching, and this week’s haul is Derek Lilliquist.
Signed through next season, Lilliquist’s career reads like a rollercoaster: several solid years as a starter, followed by the slow erosion of his stuff. This season hasn’t been great, but St. Louis is betting on the ol’ regression-to-the-mean fairy. High BABIP this year? Perfect. Throw him in the bullpen, maybe try him as an opener — the Cardinals are nothing if not creative with their pitching experiments. And for a 5th round pick? Risk vs. reward, baby.
Seattle, meanwhile, continues its proud tradition of publicly posting what they want and then collecting it. They broadcasted far and wide that a 5th round pick was the goal, and sure enough, they get it. Diaz and the pick fill a minor-league and prospect niche, adding to a stockpile that already looks like Santa’s bag exploded.
Trade Grades
Seattle Pilots: A+ — Mission accomplished. Pick acquired, player moved. Simple, clean, effective.
St. Louis Cardinals: A- — Cheap arm with upside. Not glamorous, but sometimes dumpster diving pays off.