The St. Louis Cardinals got another arm for theirbullpen Wednesday, obtainingright-hander Juan Nicasio from the Philadelphia Phillies in a tradefor minor league infielder Eliezer Alvarez.
Nicasio, 31, had not been a Phillie for long. He joined the team Aug. 31 on a waiver claim from the Pirates. His combined 2017 record between the two teams (65 games with Pittsburgh, two with Philadelphia) was 3-5 with a 2.79 ERA in a National League-high 67 games.
Nicasio has 61 strikeouts and only 18 walksin 61 1/3 innings. He has allowed just four home runs while holding opposing batters to a .218 average.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Dominican has appeared in 260 career games (82 starts) with the Rockies (2011-14), Dodgers (2015), Pirates(2016-17) and Phillies, assembling a career mark of 35-37 with a 4.60 ERA in 618 2/3 innings.
Should the Cardinals make the playoffs, Nicasio willnot be eligible. He will be a free agent after the season.
Alvarez, 22, was signed by the Cardinals as a non-drafted international free agent in2011 out of theDominican Republic. He batted a combined .248 with five homers and 28 RBIs in 61 games between Double-A Springfield and the rookie Gulf Coast League Cardinals this season.
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