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Blue Jays land former All-Star shortstop DeJong in deadline trade

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Aug 1 2023, 5:42 pm
Blue Jays land former All-Star shortstop DeJong in deadline trade
Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays have a new shortstop, landing former All-Star Paul DeJong in a trade deadline deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Blue Jays will also receive cash in this deal, while the Cardinals will get reliever prospect Matt Svanson back in return.

The trade comes on the heels of Bo Bichette getting injured in Monday’s game versus the Baltimore Orioles. The 25-year-old was forced to exit the outing due to right knee discomfort, though the Blue Jays have yet to provide an update on his status.

DeJong, 29, participated in the 2019 All-Star Game as a member of the Cardinals, whom he has spent his entire seven-year career with. In 81 games this season, he is batting .233 with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs.

Assuming Bichette is indeed forced to miss time, DeJong will slide in as the Blue Jays’ everyday shortstop for the time being. It is a nice insurance move by Ross Atkins, though a concerning one given that it could mean Bichette’s injury is a serious one. He was in the midst of his best season to date with a .321 batting average along with 17 home runs and 59 RBIs on the year.

Svanson, 24, was just recently promoted to AA ball. He has a 1.11 ERA on the season through 32.1 innings pitched, while racking up 39 strikeouts. He also has a 4-1 record on the year along with six saves. The Lake Zurich, Illinois, native was selected in the 13th round of the 2021 draft.

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