A big weekend put the St. Louis Cardinals close enough to contending status to at least take a stab at improving the roster at the trade deadline. The pitching-starved defending World Series champions on Tuesday acquired right-hander Joel Pineiro, optioned to the minors last week by the Boston Red Sox, and cash for a minor league player to be named.
Pineiro, 28, was a 16-game winner in 2003 and won 14 games in 2002. He was used exclusively in relief this year by the Red Sox.
Pineiro has a career record of 59-56 with a 4.50 ERA in 26 games, including 148 starts. He was 14-7 in 2002 and 16-11 in 2003.
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