The St. Louis Cardinals were not done after Monday’s trade, sending outfielder Dylan Carlson to the Tampa Bay Rays for right-handed pitcher Shawn Armstrong.
Thank you for your many contributions to our club and our community over these last five seasons, Dylan Carlson!
Best of luck in Tampa Bay.#ForTheLou pic.twitter.com/s3o2sF4wZV
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 30, 2024
Cardinals Trade Dylan Carlson to Rays
The Dylan Carlson rumors heated up on Tuesday following the acquisition of Tommy Pham from the Chicago White Sox. Carlson was going to be an everyday center fielder for the Cards heading into spring training. Unfortunately, a spring training injury left him out of the lineup until May. Alec Burleson‘s offensive production along with Tommy Pham’s arrival meant that Carlson would not have any playing time. Jordan Walker is currently playing in the minors and will be back in St. Louis sooner than later.
After being declared a cornerstone for the Cardinals’ future and finishing in the top voting for Rookie of the Year, Carlson never really developed into the athlete the team hoped for. His shoulder injury was the beginning of the end of his days in St. Louis. Carlson’s offensive production did not really return in May. He finishes his time as a Cardinal with a .239/.318/.381 slash line (.700 OPS).
Armstrong, 33, has appeared in 38 games this season for Tampa Bay, including seven starts, posting a 2-2 mark with a 5.40 ERA.
During his ten-year career in the majors, he has pitched for the Cleveland Guardians, Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins, and Tampa Bay. He has compiled a 10-7 mark with a 4.18 ERA over 280 games (327 1/3 IP) with 344 strikeouts. He struck out 54 batters in 52 innings pitched for the Rays during the 2023 season. During this time, he had a 1.38 ERA, allowed two home runs, and walked 11 to go with a 0.904 WHIP.
Armstrong has postseason experience with the Rays during their 2022-23 seasons, appearing in Wild Card round games. He now joins Andrew Kittredge and Ryan Fernandez in the Cardinals bullpen to set up closer Ryan Helsley. In the meantime, the club will likely release reliever Giovanny Gallegos after designating him for assignment.
Photo Credit: © Jeff Le-USA TODAY Sports
