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On August 1, the St. Louis Cardinals dealt infielder Paul DeJong to the Blue Jays alongside cash considerations in exchange for minor league pitcher Matt Svanson. With the move, DeJong is going from a last-placed team to a possible contender.
With a record of 47-60, the Cardinals are last place in the NL Central. Although the team is brimming with skill, the current trajectory has caused the team to trim the fat in hopes of a re-tooling come 2024.
Paul DeJong, 29, has been with the Cards since 2017, and has spent his entire career there. He hit 285/.325/.532 with 25 home runs and 65 RBIs in his first season, narrowly losing out to Cody Bellinger in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. After hitting just .182 between 2021 and 2022, DeJong is on a rebound. To date, the Florida-native has hit .233/.297/.412 with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs this season.
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"I hate the yankees" - Paul DeJong
On the heels of his trade to the Toronto Blue Jays, fans unearthed a 2011 tweet from DeJong proclaiming his hatred for the Yankees. A bitter divisional foe of his new team, fans took very kindly to the Tweet. It appears as though DeJong is already a Blue Jay at heart.
Many believe the pick-up of DeJong, who primarily plays shortstop, will act as a bandage for the team after losing their star shortstop Bo Bichette. Bichette left Monday's game against the Baltimore Orioles with a knee issue. Currently, it is not known how long Bichette, who is hitting an AL-best .321, will be out for.
With a record of 59-48, the Blue Jays are holding on to the third and final AL Wild Card spot. With the Boston Red Sox 2.5 games behind them in that race, the team will be happy to have DeJong's resurgent bat in the lineup for, at least, the next two months.
Paul DeJong is a strong pickup for the Toronto Blue Jays
His professed Yankee-hating aside, Blue Jays fans have much reason to welcome DeJong north of the border. An over reliance on a player like Bichette could spell disaster for the team. Luckily, GM Ross Atkins had his bases covered. Now, it is up to DeJong and company to try and deliver a World Series to the MLB's only Canadian team for the first time since they last did so, in the 1993 season.
