Blue Jays acquire LHP Génesis Cabrera from the St. Louis Cardinals

Trade deadline season is officially ramping up, as the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a deal. While this one doesn't involve any of the big names like Flaherty, Montgomery, O'Neill or Hicks, the Jays have now landed their second left-hander in the bullpen.

The deal, per Katie Woo of The Athletic, is going to see LHP Génesis Cabrera, who was recently DFA'd by the Cardinals, head to Toronto. In return, the Blue Jays are sending minor league catcher Sammy Hernandez the other way.

Cabrera, 26, debuted with the Cardinals back in 2019 and has shown occasional glimpses of promise along the way. Since he broke into the majors, he has made 174 appearances with a 4.14 ERA and 99 ERA+. His best (full) season came in 2021 when he made 71 appearances and had a 3.28 FIP and 105 ERA+ in 70 innings of work.

The addition of Cabrera will be huge for the Blue Jays, as the need for another left-handed reliever has been well-documented all season long. Trevor Richards and Erik Swanson, two righties, have done a solid job against left-handed hitters, but Tim Mayza has looked awfully lonely out there as the only true lefty, so this is nice to see. However, it is worth noting that Cabrera does have a minor league option remaining, so while he will need to occupy a spot on the 40-man roster, there's no guarantee he's immediately added to the active roster.

Since the Blue Jays have a full 40-man right now and are expecting the return of Hyun Jin Ryu possibly as early as next week, there's a serious roster crunch on their hands. Players like Mitch White, Trent Thornton and Thomas Hatch stand out as DFA candidates to make room for Cabrera and eventually Ryu.

In Hernandez, the Cardinals are acquiring a 19-year-old backstop who was only just drafted by the Blue Jays in the 14th round of last year's MLB Draft. Hernandez hasn't shown much with the bat this year (.213 average with 41 strikeouts in 42 games), but scouts have raved about his power in the past when he was in high school and the Cardinals have been notorious for uncovering talent behind the plate, so his development will be worth watching as he matures.