(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Robert Bos)
   Sem Robberse part of trade between Blue Jays and Cardinals
Nederlands
  TORONTO, Ontario (Canada) / ST. LOUIS, Missouri (USA) -
Dutch pitcher Sem Robberse will continue his professional career in the organization of St. Louis Cardinals.
On Sunday (July 30), the righthander was part of a trade between Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis.
With the trade deadline approaching (August 1 at 6 PM ET), there have been several trades the last few days, which included some big names.
...Sem Robberse pitching for Quick Amersfoort in the...
...Dutch big league during the 2019 season...
(© Photo: Robert Bos) |
On Sunday, Toronto acquired reliever Jordan Hicks from St. Louis in exhange for Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein, both righthanded pitchers and prospects in the Toronto-organization.
The hardthrowing Hicks is a welcome addition to the Blue Jays-bullpen as he has a strong season so far for the Cardinals, striking out 59 batters in 49 2/3 inning and earned eight saves.
At the moment, Toronto has to do without injured closer Jordan Romano.
Robberse was listed as the number 7 prospect in the Toronto-organization and is seen as someone who can pitch in the Major League in the future.
So far this season, the 21-year old Robberse pitched for New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A team of the Blue Jays.
In 18 games (all starts), he was 3-5 with 86 strikeouts in 88 2/3 inning with a 4.06 ERA, while walking only 33 batters.
After being traded on Sunday, Robberse was assigned to Memphis Redbirds, which is the Triple-A team of the Cardinals.
Earlier this month, Robberse was selected to pitch in the Futures All-Star Game in Seattle.
Robberse signed a professional contract with Toronto in July 2019.
In his four professional seasons (there was no Minor League-season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Robberse is 14-19 in 66 games with 282 strikeouts in 299 innings pitched.
Kloffenstein also pitched for New Hampshire this season as one of the starting pitchers.
He was 5-5 with a 3.24 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 89 innings.
Like Robberse, Kloffenstein was assigned to the Triple-A team of St. Louis in Memphis.
With their strikeouts, Kloffenstein and Robberse led the Memphis-team.
Robberse made his last appearance for New Hamphire last Wednesday when he was the starter against Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies).
He then struckout eight batters and gave up seven hits and four runs in five innings.
Robberse gave up all four runs in the fifth, but when he was relieved in the sixth, New Hampshire led 6-4.
The bullpen was unable to hold onto the lead, as the team eventually lost 9-8 in eleven innings.
Sem Robberse, who started his career with Red Caps in Leusden, made his debut in the Dutch big league during the 2018 season when he pitched in six games (three starts) for HCAW.
He was 1-3 with an 1.80 ERA and struckout twelve batters in twenty innings on the mound for the Bussum-team.
In the 2019 season, Robberse pitched in nine games (all starts) for Quick Amersfoort and was 6-3 with an 1.83 ERA and 62 strikeouts.
He then signed with Toronto Blue Jays in July of that year and made his professional debut shortly thereafter.
Sem's brother Mees Robberse this season plays in the Dutch big league for DSS/Kinheim after having played for Quick Amersfoort in the previous two seasons.
At Memphis, Robberse will become a teammate of infielder Richie Palacios, who was traded to St. Louis by Cleveland Guardians on June 16.
In March, Palacios, and his brother Josh, played for the Netherlands Team in the World Baseball Classic.
Josh Palacios started the season in Triple-A, but was added to the Major League-team of Pittsburgh Pirates early May.
He was sent back to Triple-A on July 17, but was recalled again last Friday.
On Sunday, Palacios celebrated his 28th birthday by hitting a 2-run, walk-off homerun in the tenth inning for Pitttsburgh in a 6-4 win against Philadelphia Phillies.
Besides trading Jordan Hicks to Toronto, St. Louis also traded lefthanded starter Jordan Montgomery on Sunday.
He was traded to Texas Rangers together with reliever Chris Stratton in exchange for two pitchers and an infielder, including two Minor League-prospects.
Montgomery is 6-9 this season with 108 strikeouts.
On Saturday, Texas added another starter, as veteran righthander Max Scherzer was acquired from New York Mets.
In his long career, that began in 2008, Scherzer won the Cy Young Award three times and struckout more than 3,300 batters.
Besides trading Scherzer, the Mets also traded pitcher David Robertson on Friday to Miami Marlins.
Since last Tuesday, Los Angeles Dodgers acquired outfielder/infielder Kiké Hernández from Boston Red Sox, short stop Amed Rosario from Cleveland Guardians, starting pitcher Lance Lynn and reliever Joe Kelly from Chicago White Sox.
Hernández and Kelly played for Los Angeles earlier.
(July 30)
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