ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Cardinals complete a deadline day deal to trade embattled outfielder Dylan Carlson to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The deal was finalized in the final minutes of Tuesday’s 5 p.m. CT MLB deadline, according to reports from ESPN’s Jeff Passan and St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold.

The Cardinals acquired 33-year-old relief pitcher Shawn Armstrong in a one-for-one swap involving Carlson. No other teams or players were involved.

Carlson, 25, emerged as one of the league’s top prospects in the turn to the 2020s. The former first-round draft pick held the fort as a Cardinals starting outfielder for much of the 2021 and 2022 campaigns.

However, a combination of injuries, competition from young outfielders and declining offensive production made it hard to fit him into the lineup on a more routine basis, which in turn made him a more apparent trade chip. Over the years, Carlson provided versatility in terms of playing all three outfield positions and slotting into many spots in batting orders, but he never found much of a rhythm beyond his 2021 rookie campaign.

Additionally, with the Cardinals acquiring outfielder Tommy Pham in a trade Monday, Carlson sunk lower on the team’s depth chart and became the odd man out.

Carlson, speaking to local media members Tuesday before he was traded, said in being in limbo with trade talks, “I’ve been here with the organization since I was 17. That’s all I know. It’s not something I can control, nor is it something I can get caught up on. Ultimately, just trying to be in the spot where your ready for whatever.”

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Cardinals (Seasonal)

In five seasons with St. Louis, Carlson hit .239 with 34 home runs and 161 RBI over 447 games.

He told MLB.com’s John Denton on Monday, “I think there’s something to it. going somewhere new and experiencing new things. It could open new ways of thinking and new ways of playing, and it could unlock what you need to unlock. It’s something that’s real for some guys.”

Meanwhile, Pham returns for his second stint with the Cardinals. The 35-year-old played with St. Louis from 2014 to 2018, then bounced around on seven different teams over the past six years. Pham rejoins in a three-team trade that also brings reestablished starting pitcher Erick Fedde to the Cardinals, though led to the departure of injured utilityman Tommy Edman.

Pham says on his return, “Me and Fedde walked into the [Chicago White Sox] locker room at the same time [on Monday] and both got the new right there. We were like ‘Oh, two Vegas boys going to St. Louis. My old stomping grounds.'”

“Lot of familiarity here for me with the coaches the training staff,” he continued. “Some of my teammates. Good to be back. Just got to help the team win.”

The Cardinals (54-52) host the Texas Rangers for two more games, sans Carlson, but now with Pham, before a four-game road series with the Chicago Cubs. Newcomer Erick Fedde, also acquired in the Pham deal, is expected to make his Cardinals debut on Friday at Wrigley Field.

The Cardinals are two games back of a National League Wild Card spot and seven games back of the NL Central division lead.

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