OAKLAND -- The A's swapped Minor League right-handers with the Cardinals on Saturday, acquiring Josh Lucas in exchange for Casey Meisner. Lucas was optioned to Triple-A Nashville.
After throwing 11 1/3 scoreless innings this spring with the Cardinals, Lucas was vying for a late-inning bullpen role, only to be optioned and later designated for assignment. He made his big league debut with St. Louis last year, logging a 3.68 ERA in five appearances in a pair of late-season stints.
The 27-year-old Lucas was a 21st-round selection of the Cardinals in the 2010 Draft. He has a 3.38 ERA and 49 saves in 196 career Minor League appearances.
Meisner, meanwhile, is headed to his third organization. The 22-year-old split the 2017 season between Class A Advanced Stockton and Double-A Midland, going 10-9 with a 4.04 ERA in 28 games (24 starts). A two-time Minor League All-Star, Meisner came to the A's from the Mets in the 2015 Tyler Clippard trade. The former third-round Draft pick was Oakland's No. 27 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
Lucas joins a Nashville club that announced its tentative Opening Day roster on Saturday. Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson headline the pitching staff, while the infield features a star-studded group that includes prospects Franklin Barreto, Sheldon Neuse and Jorge Mateo, along with Mark Canha.