Cardinals acquire RHP Riley O’Brien for cash, claim Jared Young off waivers

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - The Cardinals are still circling the drain on the pitching market as they prepare to dive into a transformational off-season for the looks of the club’s starting rotation. Before the purported big moves are made, though, we’re seeing moves on the periphery of the 40-man roster from St. Louis to grease the wheels of the winter.

The Cardinals acquired right-handed pitcher Riley O’Brien from the Mariners for cash considerations Monday, adding a 28-year-old reliever who thrived this past season in Triple-A Tacoma. Though O’Brien’s cup of coffee in Seattle this past summer wasn’t much to write home about, his Triple-A campaign featured 55.0 innings across 51 appearances. O’Brien compiled a sterling 2.29 ERA in Tacoma.

Of particular note to the Cardinals’ interests: O’Brien struck out an impressive 86 Triple-A batters in those 55 innings this past summer. As St. Louis aims to stock its cupboard with upside swing-and-miss arms, O’Brien is a good example of a low-risk way to add that upside to the 40-man roster.

The other acquisition announced by the Cardinals on Monday came as the team claimed utilityman Jared Young off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. Another 28-year-old, Young got a few opportunities with Chicago’s big-league club last season but spent the majority of the year in Triple-A Iowa.

Three homers in 47 MLB plate appearances last season buoyed Young’s slugging percentage and OPS as he put together a .186/.255/.465 batting line with Chicago. Over in Iowa, though, Young demonstrated his chops with 21 home runs in 376 plate appearances while posting a robust .995 OPS in Triple-A.

While neither O’Brien nor necessarily Young move the needle as immediate upgrades to the big-league roster, there’s nothing wrong with the Cardinals combing for opportunity with players that have displayed recent success at the highest level of the minors.