The St. Louis Cardinals acquired right-hander Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham on Monday as part of a three-team trade that also moved hard-throwing reliever Michael Kopech to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
St. Louis got Fedde and Pham from the major league-worst Chicago White Sox, who also sent Kopech to the Dodgers. The NL West leaders also acquired Gold Glove utility man Tommy Edman from the Cardinals. The White Sox received infield prospects Miguel Vargas, Alexander Albertus and Jeral Perez from the Dodgers.
Fedde should provide a boost for the Cards’ rotation as they try to rally into a playoff spot after they missed the post-season last year. He expects to make his first start with St. Louis later this week at Wrigley Field against the Cubs.
“You always want to be in a position to add and you always want to be in a position to make your team better,” Cardinals veteran infielder Matt Carpenter said.
The 31-year-old Fedde is 7-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 21 starts in a successful return to the majors. He finalized a $15 million, two-year deal with the White Sox in December after he pitched for the NC Dinos in South Korea in 2023.
“He a winner,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “He’s got a winning record on a team that’s over 50 games under .500.”
Fedde was selected by Washington in the first round of the 2014 amateur draft. He is 28-37 with a 4.92 ERA in 123 big league games, including 109 starts.
Edman won a Gold Glove in 2021 and had five solid seasons with the Cardinals since his debut in 2019. He hasn’t played this year after having off-season surgery on his right wrist, but was on a rehab assignment in double-A and could be close to returning. He’s also dealt with an ankle injury.
“I’m feeling good,” Edman said. “I’ve gotten a couple weeks of rehab under my belt. The ankle’s feeling a lot better. I’m going to get re-evaluated out in LA.”
The 28-year-old Kopech moved back to the bullpen this season and is 2-8 with a 4.74 ERA, nine saves and 59 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings.
Pham played his first 4 1/2 seasons in the big leagues with the Cardinals before being traded to Tampa Bay. The well-travelled 36-year-old helped the Diamondbacks make the World Series last season after Arizona acquired him at the deadline.
Pham is hitting .266 with five homers and 19 RBIs this season.
The White Sox called up outfielder Dominic Fletcher, left-hander Sammy Peralta and right-hander Touki Toussaint on Monday to fill the holes on their roster after trading away Fedde, Pham and Kopech.
Grifol said Vargas would play a variety of positions and that recently recalled right-hander Davis Martin would take Fedde’s place in the rotation.
The White Sox (27-81) entered Monday’s game against Kansas City on a 14-game skid. Chicago had a worse record through 108 games than the 1962 Mets, the worst team of baseball’s modern era.
Grifol conceded his team’s losses might mount further as it rebuilds.
“I think this helps us long term,” he said. “It doesn’t necessarily help us short term. We’ve got to continue the process. Like I said, it’s painful.”
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