St. Louis Cardinals Trade Tony Cruz To Kansas City

In a deal that quickly became inevitable, the St. Louis Cardinals dealt catcher Tony Cruz to the Royals in exchange for a rookie-ball player.

With Yadier Molina a fixture behind the plate in St. Louis, the best Cruz could have hoped for was a back-up role. But even that chance evaporated when the Cards signed Brayan Pena earlier in the week. That left Cruz with two options: stick it out and begin the year as a minor leaguer or seek greener pastures. Wednesday’s trade allows him to do the latter.

In Kansas City, he’ll serve as the back-up Salvador Perez; on the surface, Cruz doesn’t look to be in for a huge boost in playing time, but the fact that the Royals traded for him indicates they see something in him despite his lack of offensive production.

In return, the Cardinals added 19-year-old Jose Martinez. While it’s hard to predict if he will be an every day player, it’s hard to fault the team for taking a shot at a player who, at the least, will provide organizational depth.

Photo: Tony Cruz #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals slides into second base after hitting an RBI double in the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs during game four of the National League Division Series at Wrigley Field on October 13, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)