The Cardinals made a trade to do right by one of their players.
St. Louis sent Stephen Piscotty to the Athletics in exchange for Yairo Munoz and Max Schrock on Thursday, ESPN reports. Piscotty, who grew up in nearby Pleasanton, Calif., will now be closer to his mother who was diagnosed with ALS last season.
Piscotty missed time last year to be at home in California with his family following his mother’s diagnosis.
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny told the St. Louis Dispatch he felt for the 26-year-old.
“I don’t know if I can empathize with Piscotty,” Matheny said. “You just hurt for him. You can’t even really go there to understand him and at his age and what it is that he had to endure or what that is like for a family. I think it’s really just understanding that it is very, very difficult. You let him know that you care. You acknowledge. You have compassion. We’re trying to be support for him, and we have to look to do anything we can.”
Piscotty made his debut for the Cardinals in 2015, when he batted .305 in 63 games. He hit 22 home runs in 2016 and appeared to be a rising star with the franchise.
In 107 games with the Cardinals last season, the outfielder batted just .235 with nine home runs. Piscotty’s drop in numbers could be a result of what he was going through off the field.
Piscotty spoke to the St. Louis Dispatch in June when he took time away from the team to go home to be with his family.
“It was time to get back and spend time with her,” Piscotty said. “It just really puts life in perspective. When I got the news it was a little tough to focus, and I felt it was the right decision to go home and Mike was great about making that real easy. I was very thankful for that, especially my mom. It’s time to get back to work and get rolling.”
The Cardinals have had a busy few days with trades. St. Louis acquired outfielder Marcell Ozuna from the Marlins on Wednesday.
