Naylor traded to the Cardinals

St. Louis adds Left-handed power in the bat of Josh Naylor

(FTD, St. Louis)

The Division rivals of the Cardinals and Brewers pulled a deal. Drew Strotman is on his way to Milwaukee for Josh Naylor, Francois Castillo and Bill de la Cruz. The talks picked up quickly between the two clubs and both feel confidence it was a solid move for both clubs. "I have a ton of respect for Minwook Choi and the job he's doing with that Organization. The talks were pretty easy, considering we're both fighting for the same thing" said GM Jonathan Ferguson.

Josh Naylor will join his third different organization in his career. Naylor spent the last two seasons with the Brewers receiving considerable amounts of playing time. He was able to hit 22 and 25 Home runs in 965 At bats. The left-handed Naylor is still young in his career at 26 years-old and that's one of the factors in this move. "We just see him as a player that could take the next step. He's been playing in this division, seen the same pitching he'll continue to face and that's big. The departure of Max Muncy left a void from the left side on our roster. We think Josh has a chance to be pretty solid" said Ferguson.

P Francois Castillo

The club also add a pair of prospects in Francois Castillo and Bill de la Cruz that Scouting Director Steve Sanders is high on. "We think both guys have a chance to help down the road. Francois brings some solid tools from the mound. His 3 pitch-mix is legit. The fastball and Change are ready. If he can continue to develop his curve he'll get his shot. That will likely determine his fate in regards to Starter or Reliever. Bill is a young kid that has potential to be a really fun player. He can play all over the diamond and plays with a great confidence. His flexibility gives him that much more of an opportunity to make it to the show" said Sanders.

Notes: The Organization also announced they have claimed SS Grae Kessinger from the Houston Astros. He was placed on the 40-man roster.