ST. LOUIS — Amid an aggressive day at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla. in which St. Louis acquired Marlins slugger Marcell Ozuna, the Cardinals reportedly plan to send right fielder Stephen Piscotty to the Oakland Athletics.
The Cardinals confirmed Thursday morning Piscotty was traded to Oakland for shortstop Yairo Muñoz and second baseman Max Schrock.
Piscotty, who made his major league debut in 2015, was drafted out of Stanford University in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, in the first round and 33rd overall. Over 323 career games, Piscotty batted .268 with 38 home runs and 163 RBI. He signed a six-year contract extension last April.
Muñoz, 22, batted .265 with 41 home runs and 237 RBI over 504 career minor league games in both Double-A and Triple-A Oakland affiliates. He was a 2015 Midwest League All-Star at Beloit and a 2014 New York-Penn League All-Star with Vermont.
Buffa: Stephen Piscotty deserves a comeback in Oakland
On April 3, Stephen Piscotty and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed on a six year contract extension that guaranteed the rightfielder 30 million dollars. Wednesday night, the Cardinals traded Piscotty to the Oakland Athletics for two minor leaguers. That is how fast things can change in sports.
Schrock, 23, was drafted a 13th round pick by the Washington Nationals in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of South Carolina. He was traded to the Athletics in 2016 in exchange for former Cardinals pitcher Marc Rzepczynski. In 281 career minor league games, Schrock batted .324 with a .372 on-base percentage, 18 home runs and 131 RBI.
Muñoz was added to the Cardinals 40-man roster and Schrock will be assigned to a minor league roster.
Piscotty, a California native, will look at reuniting with his family for the first time since his mother was diagnosed with ALS earlier this year. Piscotty was born in Pleasanton, Ca., a suburb of the Bay Area near where the A's call home.
Buffa: Marcell Ozuna is a good addition, but the Cardinals can't stop there
Can I be honest with you, Cardinals fans? Back in October when the offseason started, my Miami Marlins outfielder desire list looked like this: 1. Giancarlo Stanton 2. Christian Yelich 3. Marcell Ozuna Stanton went to the Yankees last week, and today, the Cardinals traded for Ozuna, a 27-year-old slugger who bashed 37 home runs, drove in 124, and finished with a .924 OPS last year for the Marlins.