The Blue Jays announced that shortstop Bo Bichette has been reinstated from the injured list, with fellow shortstop Paul DeJong designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
DeJong, 30, was only just acquired from the Cardinals at the deadline less than three weeks ago. Bichette had just suffered a knee injury and the club quickly struck a deal to get DeJong from the Cards to cover the shortstop position. Unfortunately, DeJong’s time as a Jay has been abysmal. He has just three hits in his 44 plate appearances, all singles, with no walks and 18 strikeouts in that stretch. Now that Bichette is healthy enough to rejoin the roster, DeJong has quickly been jettisoned.
It’s the latest downturn of an incredibly inconsistent career for DeJong. In 2017, his rookie season, he launched 25 home runs and slashed .285/.325/.532 for a wRC+ of 123. The Cardinals believed in him enough to sign him to a six-year, $26MM extension with a couple of club options. Unfortunately, his offense declined in each season after that, hitting a nadir in 2022. He struck out in a third of his plate appearances last year and finished with a batting line of .157/.245/.286, a season in which he was optioned to the minors for over two months.
He seemed to right the ship somewhat here in 2023. Prior to the trade, he had hit 13 home runs in 81 games. He was still striking out at a 28.4% clip but his .233/.297/.412 line translated to a wRC+ of 95. That means he was still 5% below league average but it was miles better than his wRC+ of 55 last year. It was also plenty passable for an above-average defender at shortstop, which is the consensus around DeJong.
It was a sensible shot for the Jays to take on short notice. With Bichette suffering his injury just days before the deadline, they quickly grabbed DeJong, sending minor league reliever Matt Svanson the other way. There is no replacing Bichette, who is one of the better shortstops in the league, but DeJong could have been a fine stopgap if he maintained his near-average offense and solid glovework. If he had done so, he may have even been moved to second base once Bichette was back, with Whit Merrifield capable of playing the outfield. But as mentioned, DeJong’s production absolutely cratered after switching jerseys and the Jays have decided to simply cut their losses.
With the deadline now passed, the Jays will put DeJong on waivers in the coming days. He’s virtually a lock to clear, given his struggles and contract. He’s making $9MM this year, with about $2.13MM still to be paid out and then a $2MM buyout on his 2024 option. At the time of the trade, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Cardinals are covering the buyouts and half of DeJong’s remaining salary.
No club will want to take on that kind of salary for a player struggling as badly as DeJong. He has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and therefore seems bound to be released in the coming days. At that point, any club could sign him for the prorated league minimum, with that amount subtracted from what the Cards and Jays are paying.
The Jays will now proceed with Bichette back at shortstop as a combination of Merrifield, Santiago Espinal, Cavan Biggio and Davis Schneider covers second base. They currently sit half a game behind the Mariners for the final Wild Card spot with about six weeks left on the schedule.
Well, that was short-lived.
The self proclaimed Yankee hater is now gone? What happened?
What happened?
Bo healthy + DeJong awful = Paul DeSolong
@SteveC
Well played, sir.
Ah, so many of us around. I hope you aren’t one of those Yankee/cubs fans who never speak I’ll of their team no matter how bad they are Captain-Judge99.
Now DeJong is now DeGone, that’s too bad because he hates the Yankees so much, the Jays could of used all his motivation.
@avenger65- did I know the Yankees were going to be this horrible? No I didn’t. I definitely thought the Cubs were going to be a lot worse then they are, but not expecting any miracles though from them.
KInda pointless to keep DeGone around for his Yankee hating motivation since the Yankees are all but officially out of the playoff race at this point.
If u couldn’t tell that the Yankees were gonna be this bad u need a reality check bud … The tankees have most of there money tied up into Cole,judge , Stanton … Can’t win with just that !! And too give 30 Plus too one pitcher and not fix the rest of ur rotation things that’s deff not the way too win … They have a long way too go .
Yankees hahaha.
Not in talks- When was the last season the Jays finished with a better seasonal record then the Yankees? Blue Jays hahaha.
Captain judge Judy -2023. Yankees hahahah.
That would be 2016. Not all that long ago except for the feeble-memory ones.
Yeah… humans are numbers don’t you know? Ole Pauley Shore went 3/44 in a blue Jay’s uniform good for a .068 batting average and matching slugging as they were all singles… it’s been a rough time finding any consistency at all for DeJong…
He’s like the leaning tower of Cheesa!
Blue Jays traded for him and then threw him out once Bichette was healthy
What a dog eat dog world Professional Sports is
Too bad the Orioles could not have offered Mateo to the Jays, but I guess that would have been weird
Just completely ignoring how he performed?
Ya Dejong was Deterrible
I looked it up after I posted
Apparently he was using a toothpick as a bat
Glad they had Dejong sucking for them. Mateo still provides us with some usefulness as a PT player, pinch runner, and D replacement.
It wasn’t a toothpick he was using for a bat, it was a Whiffle bat. I saw him hit and pretty sure it said Whamo on it.
3-for-44 as a Jay, I assume this factored heavily.
To further emphasize just how bad DeJong has been he had been 1 for his last 26. You can give a player the chance to figure things out in April, but not so much in the waning days of August in a pennant race
That and he doesn’t have a picture of the GM of the Jay’s wearing a dress like he does John Mozeliak
What an insane comment. Show me anywhere you can work but not show results. Please. Anywhere.
The Fed Government and most State governments are the top 2 that come into mind. DMV and then train agencies are next.
@ golden bear I wasn’t thinking government jobs or union jobs. I was thinking jobs in general. There are always exceptions but those jobs aren’t the rule.
Don’t leave out PG&E…Lol
Well you did say “anywhere.”
How about any teachers/professors who have acquired tenure?
Oh, I’ve got it, weather(wo)men! No one in that field has a very good success rate simoly due to the nature of the job!
Train Agencies HAHAHAHA!
As a Californian (soon to be leaving), this is the winner! What a scam of a company. Frequently bankrupted, overpaid Execs, and have the backpockets of the Governor as well as CALpers.
retired/advisory role: I can show you plenty. Anyone whose parent(s) own their own company. Of course they would hire their own children no matter how inept they are.
“Show me anywhere you can work but not show results.”
lotta folks around here would suggest New York Yankees as the poster child for this
As usual this ended up being way more than I ever thought it would.
To work for the Yankees you can’t be coming to work looking like the Astros First Baseman? Chin hair and all? So id say the results speak for themselves… a bunch of baby Faced Men?
Yankee front office.
Anybody I know who works in “finance.” All they do is make a couple of phone calls, shuffle some numbers around in a spreadsheet, and then go have three cocktails for lunch and take a nap. It’s sure ain’t working and there aren’t any results other than moving some money from one pocket to another. I can tell you that.
What a weird trade to make. Total overreaction and panic move, would have been okay with Espinal filling in for Bo.
It wasn’t a weird trade the Jays needed a shortstop and they gave up basically nothing to get him. What did they lose? I am a Cardinal fan I don’t recall the prospect the Cardinals got for him.
Same
They got what will probably end up being an average reliever, Matt Svanson
King of cards remember you saying you wouldn’t be surprised to see someone pick up Dejongs 12 million option lmao.
Yeah I would say it was 50 50 the option would be picked up back when I made the comment. Then he played poorly for the Cardinals and played even worse for the Jays.
And I told you there was zero chance. 2 million wisely spent for the cardinals buying him out at the end of the year.
Wow you said zero chance I said a chance and it didn’t happen. You won the internet today. But I will live to fight again and claim vengeance for my pride that will surely never recover.
Dork
Someone’s mad online for being wrong ouch.
Wasn’t wrong knucklehead. I said there was a chance. If DeJong had went 20 for 44 instead of 3 for 44 as a Jay he would still be a member of their team.
3 for 44 pretty much sums it up
DeJong might have been released even if he wasn’t dealt because the Cardinals just called Winn up.
No big deal.
24 yr old reliever in A ball
Who? Wyin? If that’s what you think, time to check Baseball Reference.
You said you wouldn’t be surprised if his 12 million option woulda been picked up before the trade deadline.
Yes and then he went what 3 for 44 as a Blue Jay? And even after I said that he started playing poorly for the Cardinals before he was traded.
I said I wouldn’t be surprised. I didn’t say it would happen dude. He played very very bad since I said that.
He coulda hit well he still wasn’t ever going to have that 12 million option picked up. Teams don’t pay 12 million for back ups. And he wasn’t going to get traded to someone as a starter. Think about it.
Dude he had been a starter all year he just happened to go cold right around that time we were talking.
Get over yourself man. Seriously.
But they do pay around $10M (when subtracting the buyout) for starting shortstops who hit slightly above league average and play above-average defense, which is what he was before his slump.
He was a starter on the Cardinals no playoff team needs a SS, zero chance his option was ever going to be pick up. Instead of pretending to know things just ask me in the future I’ll tell you what’s going to happen. Won’t need to hurt your brain thinking.
That has nothing to do with whether any team expected to contend next year will need a decent starting shortstop. He very well could’ve been the starter on a good team next year had he kept playing as well as he had in the first half of this season. Even if not for the Blue Jays themselves, there was always the possibility of picking up the option and then trading him.
Of course, the slump and the DFA make all of this moot, but at the time of the trade or at least back in June, it was a very real possibility.
But they wouldn’t have called Winn up in the first place if they still had DeJong and he was still performing as well as he was before the trade. Winn only got the call-up due to DeJong being traded, Donovan being out for the rest of the year, and Gorman also going on the IL.
Even if DeJong wasn’t traded and still went 3 for his last 44 with no extra-base hits, it might not have happened due to his track record from the first half, as it would probably be more likely for him to recover from his slump than it would be for Winn to succeed right away.
I think DeJong got traded partially because of Winn.
On a different team than the Jays I feel like the option getting picked up made more sense. The Marlins did and still do need a shortstop the Jays only needed one temporarily.
Zero chance, his option was ever going to be pick up. Zero! Just like i told you before the deadline.
You are a genuine loser. This conversation was over a month ago. DeJong has played like hot garbage since then.
Zero chance. Stay mad. If you don’t like being called out for being wrong, don’t argue with people when they tell you what’s going to happen in the future and were right.
I never said it would definitely be picked up. Never said that I said there was a chance and after I said that DeJong played bad for the Cardinals and then played even worse for the Jays.
You are a loser man. I don’t remember anything you say I don’t care enough to.
You definitely argued and were wrong. You don’t care but keep responding makes sense.
I wasn’t wrong stupid I said there was a chance I didn’t say it was definitely getting picked up.
I thought the Marlins would trade for DeJong not the Jays. Once the Jays traded for him I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be picked up because they have a shortstop long term.
You are a world class loser. Get over yourself.
Breaking: Blue Jays apologist and genuine tool Iverbure brings nothing to a baseball conversation.
Yep. On-brand.
Zero chance his option was going to get picked up just like I said. If you would like your exact quote or you saying it let me know. It would cost you money for me to embarrass you with your own words though. Again. If you don’t want people to call you out for being wrong, stop trying to predict things like trades and value of players.
Sorry didn’t have time to reply to you, too busy getting the best scores daily on immaculate grid daily.
People like you in society are the worst, you go your entire life thinking you know a lot about something and then a guy like me comes along and listens to you talk for 5 minutes and points out several errors you’ve said because I’m a human lie detector and you get mad and stomp your feet away like a petulant child.
You’re typing something while saying nothing at all. If I wanted to find useless I’ll seek you out. But while you’re here, learn something by reading my comments. You most certainly need it.
I’ve forgot more about baseball than you’ve ever thought of knowing. Any time you want to test your baseball knowledge let me know we can bet whatever amount of money you want.
I cant get over how bad Atkins is.
Dejong sucked, but they gave up nothing
Atkins is bad, the team needed a bat, no bat acquired.
I thought that they should have sold chapman and reloaded in the offseason personally. They got dejong cuz they believed bo injury was much worse
Well Chapman has been the 2nd best Jay behind Bo. They should have just done a full rebuild at that point. Next year they should.
I can’t get over how bad your takes are. All 3 progressively got worse in a short period of time, takes a real lack of knowledge to be that comedically bad
SO LONG ? DEJONG ? Well with the MLB app blowing up with the Yankee no hit alert, he can take solace with that.
Just like DeJong’s stay with the Jays, the Yankees being no hit will be short lived also.
Where’s the guy that said Bichette would have to earn his spot back from DeJong????
Hahaha. I do like Dejong as a person but I would have DIED laughing reading that nonsense.
Good. Now if only teams would smarten up a bit more and start DFA’iing more useless players. Yankees need to DFA most of their team and dump Cashman.
Cardinals we’re rolling out a Chunichi Dragons level roster this season. Wainwright 2023 makes DeJong’s 2023 look like 1908 Honus Wagner. Bow tie FTW.
It’s now pronounced DaGong
In sum, the Blue Jays did nothing significant to boost offense at the deadline. Blue Jays fans should not be happy with this regime’s handling of this squad.
There weren’t any impact bars available. I know you’re a new fan to baseball and aren’t knowledgeable enough to know who was available, but take this opinion from a much more knowledgeable fan. Meat, if you need any more information on baseball I’m sure you will ask me. Replying to me is you begging and asking for help by the way. So go ahead and reply. I know you will. And again, by replying that’s you acknowledging I know more than you and you need me to educate you.
Iver.
This post is cringe
Right?
Yet I can’t stop laughing.
Zero impact bats. You laugh at your lack of baseball knowledge embarrassing
Can you educate me on what an “impact bar” is? Is that like a Cliff Bar or a Biker Bar?
Marty, Marty, Marty! Rogaine!
@iverbure
there were bats at the deadline just none moved due to the extreme price. honestly just about everyone is tradeable the real question is how much do you want to give up for player x.
wow that didn’t last long but I can see another team giving him a look
Rosters expand in September. He’ll get few weeks to work on mechanics and he’ll be back to see what they have before October.
Giants in 3,2….
Yup Fahrah already got DeJong’s agent number on speed dial
Well said. On the mark.
The Jays lineup today is…..something
Cardinals messed up a good start from Edman by prioritizing the “incredibly inconsistent” DeJong – poor choice.
Edman also got plenty of playing time, hasn’t hit all that well this year, and then got hurt for a while. Even if Edman had stayed healthy. DeJong had clearly been outplaying him up until he was traded.
No.
Paul stopped hitting once pitchers adjusted to the whole “don’t throw a fastball right down the middle to this guy” approach. He’d tweak here and there, but nothing every really changed after the opposition adjusted and hasn’t seemed to be able to.
He had some really good moments as a Cardinal. But I think he’ll be lucky to be on anyone’s 40 man roster next year.
For about a week and a half in April or May it was Camelot for DeJong – hottest player in baseball for about 10 days…….and then he turned back into a pumpkin. He MIGHT get an ST invite from someone over the winter, but I don’t see anyone claiming him yet this season
Cavan Biggio’s career so far mirrors Dejong a little. Great rookie year and 2020 then a constant decline afterwards.
2019 was juiced ball then short season 2020. After that he was figured out and fizzled out.
I hate to see it. I always liked him. He’ll be getting that $2 million buyout for next season. I’m guessing he signs a minor league depth contract somewhere next year.
It’s hard to feel sorry for anyone who made $24 million playing baseball though. I’m sure he’s already set for life.
To echo some points above, Atkins did nothing to help the Jays offense at the deadline which pretty much closes the door on a deep playoff run. So retool or rebuild was the right thing to do. Atkins did neither.
The BlueJays have a great pitching staff but need to get Vaddy Jr, Kirk, and Manoah on strict diet and training regimens. Makes you wonder why they haven’t had them on MLB professional level diet and training regimens. That is very poor development and management on behalf of the Jays executive to allow these 3 core players to falter like they have because of food.
Dejong seems élite defensively but lacks any real sense of offensive hand/eye coordination. Seems off and weird to me. He’ll play in the big leagues again but someone needs to bring him on like a project and work with him.
Because todays young players are allowed to do anything they want and if you say anything you are either a racist or fat shaming (Manoah). Guerrero is probably playing injured which will eventually come out when the Blue Jays season is over. I think the league adjusted to Kirk but Kirk hasn’t made the necessary adjustments to the league.
The Blue Jays were not going to reload/rebuild at the trade deadline when they were in solid position of the 3rd Wild Card (if my memory serves.) I think all of baseball would have been flummoxed and perplexed if the Blue Jays had sold pieces off at the deadline.
Jays are currently outside of the playoff picture which further illustrates the deadline acquisitions or lack thereof for certain needs.
To be fair, DeJong looked like an offensive upgrade at the time of the trade.
He’s a plus defender. If Bo goes down again, who’s the back up?
Espinal or Matt Chapman, sadly.
Barger or Martinez most likely
First of All…GET RID OF APPLE TV !! Secondly, DFA Guillermo Hernandez and Dave Hudgens too !!
3 for 44 with 0 walks and 18 strikeouts. Seems that corner he turned in St.Louis turned out to be a circle…
Mets PLEASE. He literally kills them every at bat. Hes better than Arrauz and Guillorme
The Rays can now use a shortstop for the coming decade.
Now that all depends on just how many underage ladies that Wander hung out with? Usually it isn’t just one, so you might be correct with that statement. Maybe Franco does 7 or 8 years on a 10-12 prison year sentence? So the Rays get him back a few years earlier.
Since they are already paying half his salary and his buyout, do the cards pick him back up lol?
yes… throw him in CF, who knows what can happen
They have no need to do so with the team going nowhere. They’re better off as they are giving an early audition to Masyn Winn.
Cardinals can sign him again, and now Toronto can pick up the half they owe!! and they got a minor league pitcher!! lol. #itsaMomove
He will find another team maybe the dodgers find his power stroke again and see I got my world series ring .
Pretty sure that’s it for DeJong, 3 for 44, yikes
Rays?? Too soon???
Rays should claim him.
The absolute dumpster fire that is the SF Giants where Zaidi and Kapler need to be immediately FIRED they might as well pick up some of these names like DeJong after they clear waivers to try and shake up their roster not much risk here as they suck anyway. They had been rumored to sign him anyway at the trade deadline now can get him for next to nothing. This will be the fourth out of the last five seasons that they miss the playoffs even with the extended team format. Heard that Buster has moved back to the Bay Area Manager or GM (President of Baseball Ops)? would be an excellent choice.
i could see buster being a good mangers (catchers usually do) but gm/pbo not sure on that, being in the top position is just more than picking players and negotiating, there’s hiring the right staff from top to bottom, owner interference, and other day to day operations im not thinking of. not saying buster couldn’t do it (heck the man could have a mba as far as we know) i just wouldn’t put him there as a new hire, let him take an advisory role at first to let him get some real world experience of the job.
Things haven’t looked up for DeJong since he penned Mr Roboto
Cardinals will bring him back and have Winn sit on the bench with Baker.
the astros should sign him. can’t be that much worse than pena.
Time to hang ‘em up, Paul. You should be set for life $$ wise.