The Miami Marlins traded outfielder Austin Dean of Spring, TX to the St. Louis Cardinals for 18 year-old minor league outfielder Diowill Burgos of San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic on Tuesday according to the Associated Press. Dean has some versatility in his game as he can play either first base or the outfield. He played five games for the Marlins in 2019 at first base.
In 2019, Dean batted .225 with six home runs and 21 runs batted in during his 64 games and 178 at bats. In his 189 plate appearances, Dean scored 17 runs, had 40 hits, 14 doubles and nine walks. He had an on base percentage of .261 and slugging percentage of .404. Dean had career highs in 2019 in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, runs batted in, batting average, slugging percentage and total bases.
Dean is expected to be added to the Cardinals 40 man roster. He is projected to be a backup outfielder behind starting left fielder Tyler O’Neil of Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, starting center fielder Harrison Bader of Bronxville, NY and starting right fielder Dexter Fowler of Atlanta, GA. As long as Cardinals slugger Paul Goldschmidt of Wilmington, DE stays healthy, there is no chance Dean will see regular playing time at first base with St. Louis.
At 26 years of age, Dean was originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft. Among the Marlins minor league affiliate teams Dean has played for in the past are the Batavia Muckdogs (A ball), Greensboro Grasshoppers (A ball), Jupiter Hammerheads (A ball) and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (AA). It should be noted that the Grasshoppers are now an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In 2019, the Cardinals won the National League Central with a record of 91 wins and 71 losses. They then reached the postseason where they beat the Atlanta Braves three games to two in the National League wildcard. However, they were then swept in four games by the Washington Nationals in the National League Championship Series.
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