The St. Louis Cardinals have a complete team, with an enviable lineup and full starting rotation, which made them one of the weirdest teams to peg at the deadline. They did need a reliever, though, and that's exactly what they targeted, making a deal with the Miami Marlins:
Cardinals Trade Zack Cox To Marlins For Reliever Edward Mujica
Cards got Edward mujica for Zachary Cox
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) July 31, 2012
Mujica went from the Padres to the Marlins in the Cameron Maybin deal before the 2011 season, and the 28-year-old right-hander has pitched 39 innings this year with a 4.38 ERA, 26 strikeouts, and 9 walks. The strikeout-to-walk ratio is down from where it's been the last three years, as Mujica's calling card is usually his plus-control. He also has a problem with home runs, though. How much of a problem?
Edward Mujica has 50 career home runs allowed and 46 career unintentional walks
— Jeff Sullivan (@LookoutLanding) July 31, 2012
In two seasons in San Diego, the reliever allowed 28 home runs. Read that sentence again.
Zack Cox was the 25th-overall pick by the Cardinals in the 2010 draft. He entered the year as the #88 prospect in baseball according to Baseball America, but the 23-year-old has struggled mightily in the Pacific Coast League this year, hitting just .254/.294/.421.
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