Cardinals acquire outfielder Matt Holliday

ST. LOUIS, July 24 (UPI) -- The St. Louis Cardinals Friday made the first big move before the July 31 trading deadline by making a deal with Oakland for left fielder Matt Holliday.

In return, the Athletics got Cardinal's third baseman Brett Wallace, Triple-A right hander Clayton Mortensen and Double-A outfielder Shane Peterson.

The Athletics also will give St. Louis $1.5 million to help offset the remaining cost of Holliday's $13.5 million contract.

Holliday is the second marquee player to join the Cardinals in the past month following the versatile Mark DeRosa obtained from Cleveland.

Holliday, the 2007 National League batting champion and three-time NL All-Star, started slowly in 2009 after Oakland acquired him from the Colorado Rockies last November for closer Huston Street.

Holliday, who will be a free agent this winter, is batting .286 with 11 homers and 54 RBI, and is 12-for-31 with three homers and 11 RBI in eight games since the All-Star break.