ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals acquired a second veteran starting pitcher in a matter of hours Friday, sending outfielder Lane Thomas to the Washington Nationals for Jon Lester.
The Cardinals announced their second move in about an hour, with both deals being finalized just ahead of the league's 3 p.m. CST trade deadline.
Lester has not been the pitcher Cardinals fans remember from his five-year stint with the Chicago Cubs. In his first season with the Washington Nationals, he has a 5.02 ERA in 16 starts. He's allowed 10.9 hits per nine innings, the highest mark of his 16-year career, and is striking out fewer batters than any other point.
Lester, 37, has 196 career wins and won the World Series three times: once with the Cubs and twice with the Red Sox.
Thomas, 25, struggled in limited playing time over the last two years, hitting .107 with nine hits and 30 strikeouts in 84 at-bats.
Lester is the second veteran starter the Cardinals have added to their roster on Friday afternoon. About an hour earlier, the Cardinals announced a deal to send John Gant and a minor leaguer to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for 38-year-old starter J.A. Happ and cash considerations.
Happ will have a short commute, and the Cardinals are hosting the Twins at Busch Stadium Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7.15.
The Cardinals sit in third place in the National League Central with a 51-51 record. They are nine-and-a-half games behind the Brewers and two-and-a-half games behind the second-place Cincinnati Reds.
