Fansided

How the Cardinals already won the Paul DeJong trade and then some

By Mark Powell

ST. LOUIS, MO - JULY 17: Paul DeJong #11 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws to first base on a ground out during the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium on July 17, 2023 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - JULY 17: Paul DeJong #11 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws to first base on a ground out during the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium on July 17, 2023 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images) /
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The St. Louis Cardinals traded Paul DeJong to the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline. Mark that down as a win for John Mozeliak.

The Cardinals traded Paul DeJong to the Blue Jays at the deadline for minor league right-hander Matt Svanson. At the time, that was seen as a relative win for the Cards, as DeJong didn’t really have a long-term spot on the roster.

On Saturday, that trade victory was guaranteed, as the Jays designated DeJong for assignment after just a few weeks with the team.

DeJong was hitting just .068 in 44 at-bats with Toronto. Clearly, he does not deserve at-bats for a team contending for an AL Wild Card spot. In fact, DeJong has struggled to return to form since the 2020 season, when he slashed .250/.322/.349. The former NL All-Star simply hasn’t lived up to expectations since making the NL All-Star team in 2019 with St. Louis.

Who won the Cardinals-Blue Jays Paul DeJong trade?

At the time of the trade, FanSided’s Miranda Remaklus graded the deal a B+ for the Cardinals, in part because they were able to add to their organizational pitching depth, which had previously been lacking.

"“Things appeared to go downhill for DeJong during the Covid-19 shortened 2020 season. He struggled at the plate, and as his frustrations grew, so did his struggles.In 26 games this season, Svanson has a record of 4-1 with an ERA of 1.11 over 31.1 innings. He has 39 strikeouts on the season. Swanson continues the Cardinals’ trend of making deals for young, controllable pitching to bolster the staff for the future.Svanson profiles as an innings-eating strike thrower that the Cardinals will desperately need,” Remaklus wrote at the time."

For what it’s worth, Svanson has struggled in limited appearances for the Cards Double-A affiliate. He has a 10.13 ERA in four appearances for Springfield. Overall, though, Svanson still has a 2.39 ERA across three minor-league destinations in 2023. There is still some potential there, and the Cards will seek it out for the rest of the season.

The deal is already a win for St. Louis given DeJong’s demotion. Any contribution from Svanson would be the cherry on top.

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