Blue Jays trade for Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong

The Toronto Blue Jays have made their third trade with the St. Louis Cardinals in less than two weeks, acquiring shortstop Paul DeJong, the team announced.

DeJong is in the midst of an unimpressive offensive season, hitting just .233/.297/.412, but that's not unexpected for the defence-first shortstop. The 29-year-old hasn't posted an above-average wRC+ since 2019 and over the last four seasons he ranks 211th out of 225 qualified hitters by that metric (82).

The Blue Jays didn't acquire the veteran expecting explosive offence, though. DeJong is an elite defender who ranks in the 97th percentile in Outs Above Average this season. He's been in the 87th percentile or better in each of the last three seasons.

By adding DeJong, the Blue Jays have brought in a player capable of holding down the shortstop position as long as Bo Bichette is injured, but his utility goes beyond that.

The former Cardinal's overall offensive numbers are poor, but he may be able to help them against southpaws, as he's hit .266/.368/.453 against them this year — good for a 129 wRC+. DeJong doesn't have a long history of smashing lefties, but he gives a Blue Jays team lacking ways to counter them another option.

DeJong's contract situation is also an intriguing one for Toronto. The shortstop has club options for both 2024 and 2025 valued at $12.5 million, then $15 million. If the Blue Jays are impressed with what they see from the shortstop down the stretch they could keep him around to fill in at second or third base next season — two spots where the team lacks a clear starter for 2024.

Because the offensive standard for those positions is higher than it is at shortstop, DeJong would likely have to hit better than he has recently to justify that kind of investment. Theoretically, he could also play shortstop while Bichette moves. That's the sort of shift that makes sense on paper but gets complicated in practice considering the star's preferences — and how it could affect his desire to sign an extension in Toronto.

There's no guarantee that the Blue Jays will retain DeJong beyond 2023, but having the ability to do so surely added to his appeal.

In return for DeJong the Blue Jays sent pitching prospect Matt Svanson to the Cardinals. The 24-year-old is in the midst of a stellar season with the High-A Vancouver Canadians with a 1.23 ERA in 29.1 innings. While those numbers are eye-popping, it's worth noting that Svanson got a taste of the level in 2022 — and he's on the older side for it.

Svanson's repertoire features a sinker and slider, helping him post excellent groundball rates at every level during his minor-league career. The Cardinals likely see him as someone who can help their bullpen in the years to come.

In order to complete the deal, St. Louis also sent cash to Toronto, helping to pay the remainder of a contract with approximately $3 million left on it.

Outfielder Jordan Luplow was designated for assignment in order to clear room for DeJong on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster.