Jon Lester, Washington Nationals. (Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)
The St. Louis Cardinals have added another veteran southpaw starter in Jon Lester.
Hours after trading for J.A. Happ with the Minnesota Twins, the St. Louis Cardinals have added another veteran left-handed pitched by dealing for Jon Lester from the Washington Nationals at the buzzer.
Lane Thomas goes back to Washington for the veteran left-hander.
This was Lester’s first season in the nation’s capital after having spent the six previous years with the Cardinals’ arch rival Chicago Cubs. St. Louis may be 9.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the division, but the Cardinals’ front office was super aggressive in trying to revamp its starting rotation at the deadline. Dealing for Happ and Lester does give the Redbirds some hope for now.
Cubs fans will hate to see it, but Lester is making his way to St. Louis to pitch for the Cardinals.
St. Louis Cardinals trade for Washington Nationals LHP Jon Lester at the deadline
Overall, you have to applaud what the Cardinals’ front office was able to do at the trade deadline. The team had a glaring need in the starting rotation and Cardinals’ brass addressed it head-on by adding Happ and the Lester into the mix. It may not be enough to catch the Brewers in the division, but these series of moves certainly make the St. Louis roster a better one than it was.