The St. Louis Cardinals have acquired starting pitcher Justin Masterson from the Cleveland Indians in return for minor league outfielder James Ramsey.
Masterson, 29, is a sinker specialist and a former All-Star. This year he has struggled with the Indians with a 4-6 record and a 5.51 ERA in 19 starts this year.
Masterson is currently on the disabled list with a knee injury, but is set to come off the DL this Friday. Masterson will pitch for against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Masterson’s sinker pitch keeps the ball on the ground and out of the seats. He currently has a 2.81 GB/FB ratio, but has struggled to keep line drive rates and walks down according to SBnation.com. A change of scenery may be exactly what Masterson needs to return to his 2011 form when he posted a 3.16 ERA.
Ramsey, a former first-round pick, is hitting .300/ .389/ .527 for Double-A Springfield this season. Though it is unlikely he will make any great strides in his improvement from here, he is a solid mid-tier addition for the Indians.