ST. LOUIS (KMOX) updated at 6:20 p.m. - The St. Louis Cardinals have acquired left-handed pitcher Matthew Liberatore, minor league catcher Edgardo Rodriguez and the Rays Compensation B draft pick (66th overall) from the Tampa Bay Rays, in exchange for outfielders Randy Arozarena, Josè Martínez and the Cardinals Compensation A draft pick (38th overall).
We have acquired LHP Matthew Liberatore and C Edgardo Rodriguez from Tampa Bay in exchange for OF José Martínez and OF Randy Arozarena.Liberatore, 20, was the Rays' 2018 first round draft pick and is regarded as a Top 50 overall prospect. pic.twitter.com/yJxCQT3t9O
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) January 10, 2020
The 20-year-old is a top-50 prospect in baseball and was the No. 4 prospect in the Rays organization.
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Liberatore was the 16th pick of the 2017 draft and is considered "one of the top southpaw pitching prospects in baseball," according to RotoWorld.com.
The 6-5, 200-pound Liberatore has compiled an 8-4 mark with a 2.59 ERA in 25 games (24 starts) in the minors, striking out 113 batters in 111.0 innings pitched, allowing just two home runs to go along with a 1.22 WHIP and .224 opponent's batting average. Liberatore was 6-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) for Bowling Green of the Midwest League (A) this past season.
Rodriguez, 19, a right-handed hitting catcher from Valencia, Venezuela, was signed by the Rays as an international free agent in July of 2017. The 6-0, 205-pound Rodriguez has produced a .338 batting average, six home runs and 40 RBI in his first two seasons as a professional. He batted .330 with 6 HR's and 34 RBI in 51 games in the Dominican Summer League in 2018, ranking among the Rays minor league leaders in batting (3rd), slugging (.492, 6th) and on-base pct. (.384, 9th). In limited action with the GCL Rays, he batted .400 in 2019.
Liberatore is childhood friends with one of the Cardinals top prospects, Nolan Gorman:
.@TheMayorsOffice recently sat down with 2018 #MLBDraft prospects Matthew Liberatore and Nolan Gorman to discuss their journey from childhood friends to potential first round picks. pic.twitter.com/WN5TQyzM8W
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 31, 2018© 2019 KMOX (Entercom). All rights reserved
