A. Reyes dealt for Cleveland minor leaguer
NEW YORK — By dealing the righthander who just a few years ago was the organization’s top prospect, the Cardinals finally found the change of scenery that Anthony Reyes has been looking for.
The Cardinals traded Reyes from their Triple-A rotation to Cleveland for a minor-league reliever on Saturday. In the deal, the Cardinals received reliever Luis Perdomo, a 24-year-old righthander, and cash.
“Obviously, we were getting to a point where we had to make a decision with Anthony and what his future with us is,” general manager John Mozeliak said after finalizing the deal. “We were looking to add some depth to the minor-league system (in the bullpen) and wanted to do something that would have some implication for next year. We wanted to add depth.”
Reyes, 26, peaked as a Cardinal by winning Game 1 of the 2006 World Series, but never really found traction as a major-league starter. A 15th-round pick out of Southern Cal in 2003, Reyes was a determined fireballer, an approach that served him well at Triple-A but didn’t translate to the major leagues despite his attempts. The Cardinals worked with him on expanding his array of pitches and getting him to embrace a two-seam fastball, though he did so with vary degrees — and velocities — of success.
Reyes went 10-24 in the majors, including a 2-14 turn through the rotation last year.
The righthander began this season in the Cardinals’ bullpen, experiencing some success as a middle reliever. He got his first win of the season and the first save of his career in consecutive appearances in April. The Cardinals returned him to Triple-A in May to rejoin the rotation there and either enhance outside interest in him or pitch his way back to the majors.
In the meantime, the Cardinals elected to have three rookies make spot starts at the major-league level rather than recall Reyes.
The indications were Reyes was a change-of-scenery candidate.
“We were looking at a lot of different things (with Reyes), and as it got closer to (the nonwaiver trade deadline) July 31st, we didn’t think the market was going to shift all that much after it,” Mozeliak said. “We could have gotten into the offseason and looked at what was available, but to maximize his value we thought it was better to do something sooner rather than later.”
Perdomo was 5-1 with a 1.66 ERA in 40 appearances this season, split between the Class A and Class AA levels. Overall, he’s struck out 60 and walked 24 in 54 1/3 innings. He was a Carolina League All-Star as a closer for the Indians’ High-A affiliate. Perdomo was most recently with Cleveland’s Double-A affiliate, where he was 2-0 with a 3.52. Signed in 2003 as an undrafted free agent, Perdomo spent three years at the Cleveland’s academy in the Dominican Republic before making his minor-league debut in 2006.
He throws a fastball in the 90-mph to 94-mph range and has an effective slider. He projects as a setup reliever.
Perdomo has been assigned to Double-A Springfield.
Here are a couple Web sites to check out his statistics and vitals:
More on the trade, the possibility of Chris Carpenter starting next week in Atlanta and other news later tonight on StlToday.com or in Sunday’s Post-Dispatch.
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
It is rather a pathetic job that Mo and DeWitt are doing this year. We should have had a legit closer, and/or lefty reliever, and/or RH bat by now. With the Cards so close they have done nothing but trade Reyes. If that’s the best that their minds can muster then they should be run out of town. TLR is working his tail off to keep the team on their winning ways and all he and the city get is a minor leaguer for Reyes. What a croc. I am glad that they are really focused on this important season by spending so much time and energy worried about dealing Reyes! It is so hard to make the playoffs in MLB and we have been in contention all year. This management/owner combo have soured the city’s faith in their abilities. They fumbled Percival whom we could have signed; overvalue their farm system; concentrate on insignificant trades during the time of famine; leave TLR and the city of StL in the lurch; worry about pocketing a few dollars. They are bankrupt of helping this team and wealthy in stubbornly sitting on the dock of the bay watching the other teams go by.
For all those wanting to trade prospects for immediate needs, consider how well it’s worked out for the Yankees…you also may want to look into moving all of your retirement portfolio into tech stocks…
if you are a cardinal fan you are happy to see reyes get a chance to shine! i dont think that we got a bad deal b/c i looked at his staes during his career. this could be a future set up man or closer b/c ISH is done done done stick a fork in him he is done. Just like edmonds, rolan he is done with the cards.
Well I have to definitely agree with Mike concerning the possibility of Molina as ‘trade bait’. #1 obviously they are at best fair weather Cardinal fans & #2 know nothing about how baseball works. I just don’t know how people who are supposed Cardinal Fans can sit back and criticise the Front office and LaRussa for the 2008 Cardinals. Talk about an exciting TEAM to watch play baseball. And the pitching staff that didn’t have a chance in the NL Central, according to all of the so to speak proffesional critics before Spring Training, I’m sure are sitting back eating crow now. Now the bullpen could use some help in a left handed thrower but believe me it will happen. Also, who said the TLR was washed up?? Well, just who would you suggest come in and take his place and do a better job. There is NO ONE out there!!!! But believe me there are plenty of teams who would jump @ the chance to have Tony in their dug-out! Yes, this team of young underachievers has done nothing but play Great Defensive & Offensive baseball and are the most EXCITING team to watch play in many years, going back to the Ozzie days. You know everyone talks about the Cubs, well with the monies they have spent over the past two years, second to the ‘over spending’ Yankees,they should be leading the NL Central by 20 games NOT 5. I think we should just ENJOY and Stand Behind the 2008 Cardinals and be Excited to have a contending TEAM! Oh, If You’re a TRUE CARDINAL FAN !!!!!!!