Cardinals trade shortstop Paul DeJong to Toronto Blue Jays, the teams announced

The St. Louis Cardinals have completed their second trade with Toronto in three days and third in the last two weeks, with the Cardinals sending shortstop Paul DeJong to the Blue Jays, the teams announced Tuesday.

In return, the Cardinals will receive minor league reliever Matt Svanson.

Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette left Monday night’s game after pulling up while running the bases. The team has thus far only announced discomfort in his right knee, but Toronto immediately pivoted to seeking reinforcements.

Given the Cardinals’ familiarity with their minor league system after their work together in recent days, the St. Louis shortstop was a logical, natural fit. Toronto acquired relievers Génesis Cabrera and Jordan Hicks in those two recent trades, and the Cardinals received three prospects.

Swanson, a right-hander, is 24 years old and, like DeJong, from the greater Chicago area. In 26 appearances split between High-A Vancouver and Low-A Dunedin, he’s allowed just four earned runs in 32 ⅓ innings, striking out 39.

DeJong, whose 30th birthday is tomorrow, was drafted by the Cardinals in the fourth round in 2015 from Illinois State University. He burst on the scene in 2017, hitting 25 home runs in just 417 at bats and finishing second in voting for NL Rookie of the Year.

He was productive through the 2019 season, in which he was the Cardinals’ only representative at the All-Star Game, but saw a dip in his results that would be magnified in the following years. That fall off culminated last season, which saw him optioned to the minor leagues just days before his service time would have allowed him to block such a move.

Despite some of that instability at the plate, DeJong remained a steady, consistent presence at shortstop. After a significant overhaul of his spring this winter, he’s rebounded to deliver 13 home runs and post a 93 OPS+; that’s his best mark since 2019, and places him at just seven percent below league average as a hitter. His splits have been significant, posting a superior OPS against left-handed pitching by approximately 150 points.

Prior to the 2018 season, DeJong agreed to a six-year, $26 million extension which was, at the time, the largest deal ever signed by a player with less than one year of service time. Under the terms of that deal, DeJong was subject to team options in both 2024 and 2025, for which he will receive a $2 million buyout if next year’s option is not exercised.