Ex-Cardinals All-Star Surprisingly DFA'd By AL East Club After Extremely Short Stint

The Blue Jays officially designated one former Cardinal for assignment

One former member of the St. Louis Cardinals is looking for a new home.

Former Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the 2023 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline and appeared in just 13 games before being designated for assignment, according to the club. 

DeJong was drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft by the Cardinals and eventually made his big league debut with the club in 2017 as a 23-year-old. He moved into the Cardinals' starting shortstop role and remained with the club until this season. DeJong had an up-and-down stint with the Cardinals and earned his lone All-Star nod in 2019, but has struggled with inconsistent play and injuries since the start of the 2021 campaign. 

The 30-year-old started the 2023 campaign strong for the Cardinals but slowed down before being dealt to Toronto. In 81 games with St. Louis this season DeJong slashed .233/.297/.412 to go along with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs. The 30-year-old struggled with Toronto and in 13 games collected just three hits and slashed .068/.068/.068 to go along with just one RBI. 

Now that DeJong has been designated for assignment, clubs will have one week to place a waiver claim on him and if they were to acquire him, he immediately would need to be placed on the acquiring club's 40-man roster. If DeJong isn't claimed off waivers, he could opt for free agency and then have the opportunity to sign anywhere. It wouldn't be too surprising to see him get another opportunity this year, but it may come with a minor-league contract. Hopefully, he can find another home shortly and get back on track. 

More MLB: Here's How Cardinals Exciting Top Prospect Masyn Winn Fared In Impressive MLB Debut