Cards trade for Astros third baseman Pedro Feliz

The Cardinals traded for veteran third baseman Pedro Feliz to help fill the void at the hot corner. Feliz comes to St. Louis from Houston in a deal for minor league pitcher David Carpenter. With David Freese out for the year and Felipe Lopez struggling, the team needed to do something as they dropped to three and a half games back of Cincinnati. Since sweeping the Reds, the Cards have lost series to the Cubs and Brewers.

Part of their struggles is related to the hole at third base. Feliz can help, but he’s not an impact player largely because he just can’t hit anymore. It’s hard to see him coming up with a big hit down the stretch for St. Louis and that’s what this team needs. The veteran was hitting .221 with four home runs and 31 RBI for the Astros. The 35-year-old has experience in the postseason after contributing to the Phillies Word Series championship in 2008 and National League championship in 2009. Before Philadelphia, he spent his entire career in San Francisco.

While he’s no longer a threat with the bat, Feliz is a great defensive third baseman. He has soft hands and a strong arm and he makes a lot of plays look easy at third. The strong defense should bring stability and confidence to the team in the field.

David Carpenter, 24, was 5-3 with 2.36 ERA in 49 relief appearances at high Class A Palm Beach. He was a converted catcher.