The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have acquired minor league shortstop Rayder Ascanio from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for right-handed pitcher Mike Leake and international cap space totaling $750,000 for the current international signing period.
Ascanio, 21, was signed by the Mariners as an international free agent in 2012 at age 16 and the slick fielding infielder has compiled a career batting mark of .240 with 15 HR's and 158 RBI in 425 games at the minor league level.
The switch-hitting Ascanio, a native of Mariara, Venezuela, was batting .217 with 9 HR's and 44 RBI in 111 games this season between Tacoma (AAA), Clinton (A) and Modesto (A). He is expected to be assigned to the Palm Beach Cardinals (A) roster.
Today's trade will require an addition to the Cardinals 25-man active roster. That transaction is expected to be announced tomorrow.
Leake, 29, was 7-12 with a 4.21 ERA in 26 starts for the Cardinals this season and has a career mark of 80- 76, 4.02 ERA in eight seasons with Cincinnati (2010-15), San Francisco (2015) and St. Louis (2016-17). He went 16-24 with a 4.46 ERA in his 56 starts for the Cardinals after signing as a free agent in December of 2015.
The Cardinals and Mariners announced a trade last month that sent power-hitting outfielder Tyler O'Neill (28 HR's in 2017) to the Cardinals organization in exchange for left-handed pitcher Marco Gonzales.