Ramsey headed to Tribe in Masterson trade

The outfield situation in the upper levels of the Cardinals farm system got a little less crowded Wednesday afternoon.

St. Louis has dealt No. 6 prospect James Ramsey to the Indians for right-handed starter Justin Masterson, the clubs announced. MLB Network's Peter Gammons first reported that Masterson was being traded to the Cards, and the New York Post's Joel Sherman was the first to add that the Tribe was getting Ramsey in return.

Ramsey was a prime candidate to be moved this trade deadline season given the Cardinals' depth in the outfield.

Taken 23rd overall out of Florida State by St. Louis in 2012, the 25-year-old left-handed hitter was hitting .300/.389/.527 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs over 67 games during his second season with Double-A Springfield at the time of the trade. His .916 OPS would be tops in the Texas League had he enough at-bats to qualify. The center fielder, who has also played in both right and left this season, missed 22 games following a shoulder injury suffered in a collision with the outfield wall in mid-May. He also missed time in June due to a intercostal muscle strain.

Despite his rosy numbers, the Cardinals kept him in Double-A because prospects Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk and veterans Thomas Pham and Shane Robinson -- each of whom owns an OPS of .793 or better in the PCL -- were already fighting for playing time in Triple-A Memphis.

Just after the deal was announced, the Indians assigned Ramsey, who played one game in the PCL last season, to Triple-A Columbus.

Ramsey -- a 2014 Futures Game selection -- didn't budge from his spot at No. 6 in the Cardinals system when MLB.com updated its prospect rankings earlier this week and has since been moved to No. 5 among Indians prospects.

His best tool, according to the website, is his speed, which was given a 60 on the 20-80 scale. However, the former Seminole has only swiped four bases this season and 23 across three seasons in the Minors. His best attribute might be his plate discipline. Ramsey posted a .373 on-base percentage last season and has improved on that with a .389 mark this season.

Masterson, who came to the Indians in their deadline deal with the Red Sox for Victor Martinez five years ago, became the headliner this time around.

The 29-year-old right-hander, who posted a 3.45 ERA in 2013, was 4-6 with a 5.51 ERA, 93 strikeouts and 56 walks in 19 starts (98 innings) during a down year with the Tribe. A knee injury had kept him out of the Cleveland rotation since July 7. In two rehab starts with Columbus, Masterson's struggles continued with the 6-foot-6 hurler giving up seven runs on nine hits and eight walks in two starts (11 2/3 innings).

He is slated to make his Cardinals debut Saturday.