SAINT LOUIS, Mo. — The St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday traded pitchers Jordan Hicks, Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton, the team announced.
Right-handed reliever Hicks, 26, is headed to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league pitchers Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein, who both will be assigned to Triple-A Memphis.
Robberse, 21, pitched in the MLB Futures Game earlier this month. The Netherlands native was signed by the Blue Jays in July 2019. In 18 starts, went 3-5 with a 4.06 ERA and 86 strikeouts.
Kloffenstein, 22, was the Blue Jays third-round draft pick in 2018. He made 17 starts this season for the Fisher Cats at New Hampshire, going 5-5 with a 3.24 ERA. He struck out 105 batters this season.
Hicks, 26, was drafted by St. Louis in 2015 and was 1-6 with a 3.67 ERA and 8 saves this season in 40 games. He will become a free agent following the 2023 season.
In addition to Hicks, pitchers Jordan Montgomery, 30, and Chris Stratton, 32, were traded to the Texas Rangers in exchange for infielder Thomas Saggase, left-handed pitcher John King and minor league right-handed pitcher Tekoah Roby.
Montgomery is 6-9 with a 3.42 ERA in 21 starts for last-place St. Louis, with 108 strikeouts against 35 walks. He can become a free agent after this season.
Stratton is 1-1 with a 4.36 ERA and one save in 42 relief appearances, with 59 strikeouts and 17 walks.
Saggese, 21, was the Rangers fifth-round selection in the 2020 MLB Draft. The right-handed hitting Saggese is batting .314 with 15 home runs, 78 RBIs and a .894 OPS in 92 games for Double-A Frisco.
King, 28, played for four seasons with the Rangers. During the 2021 season, he was 7-5 with a 3.52 ERA in 27 games. King has a career record as a reliever of 10-10 with a 4.27 ERA in 87 games.
Roby, 21, was the Rangers third-round draft choice in 2020. He made 10 starts for Frisco this season, going 2-3 with a 5.05 ERA and 50 strikeouts.
King will report to St. Louis, while Saggese and Roby will be assigned to the Double-A Springfield Cardinals
Texas will also receive an international signing bonus pool space as part of the trade.
All three trades were first reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan.