Blue Jays trade for ex-All-Star shortstop amid Bo Bichette injury

Sep 9, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Toronto Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider (14) walks back to the dugout during the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays are adapting and overcoming.

Toronto announced Tuesday that they have acquired shortstop Paul DeJong in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Blue Jays are also getting cash considerations from St. Louis while sending back minor league pitcher Matt Svanson, a 24-year-old right-hander.

This comes just one day after Bo Bichette, Toronto’s All-Star starting shortstop, suffered an apparent knee injury while running the bases against the Baltimore Orioles and had to leave the game. There is no official update on Bichette just yet, but the video of the injury did not look too encouraging.

The 29-year-old DeJong, an All-Star himself in 2019, has some pop with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs in 81 games this season. Though DeJong’s batting average is in the sewer (.199 over the last three years combined), he is also one of the game’s better defensive shortstops and is on a contract with club options for 2024 and 2025.

Toronto is 5-5 in their last ten games and losing a bit of footing in the AL Wild Card race (now with just a 2.5-game lead for the third and final spot). Any extended absence from Bichette, who leads the AL in both hits (144) and batting average (.321), would obviously make things much tougher. But the Blue Jays are not feeling sorry for themselves and now add DeJong to a list of deadline additions that already includes another notable ex-Cardinal.