The Toronto Blue Jays acquired flamethrowing reliever Jordan Hicks from the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, reinforcing their bullpen the day after they placed closer Jordan Romano on the injured list.
Hicks, perhaps the most sought-after relief arm on the trade market, was the first of what’s expected to be a number of players from a disappointing Cardinals team to move. Soon after the Hicks deal was consummated, St. Louis traded left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery and right-handed reliever Chris Stratton to Texas.
In return for Hicks, the Blue Jays will send a pair of minor league right-handers to St. Louis.
The Texas Rangers further fortified themselves for a championship run Sunday, acquiring left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery and right-handed reliever Chris Stratton from the St. Louis Cardinals one day after finalizing a deal for ace Max Scherzer.
With the best offense in baseball, the Rangers tapped into their plentiful minor league system, sending two top prospects — infielder Thomas Saggese and right-hander Tekoah Roby — along with left-handed reliever John King to St. Louis.