Report: Rays trade top pitching prospect Liberatore to Cardinals

The Tampa Bay Rays have traded pitching prospect Matthew Liberatore to the St. Louis Cardinals, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN.

The details of the deal aren't known yet. However, major-league pieces are expected to be sent back to Tampa Bay, which has been searching for outfield bats, according to Passan.

Cardinals outfielders Tyler O'Neill and Jose Martinez were discussed, and one or both could possibly be going to the Rays, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Harrison Bader is another outfielder who was mentioned in trade talks, according to Heyman.

Liberatore was the No. 4-ranked prospect in the Rays organization and is ranked No. 41 in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

The 20-year-old lefty was taken 16th overall by Tampa Bay in the 2018 draft. He posted a 3.10 ERA with 76 strikeouts across 78 1/3 innings while playing in Single-A last season.