BLUE JAYS, CARDINALS MAKE ANOTHER TRADE
The Toronto Blue Jays acquired infielder Paul DeJong and cash from the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher Matt Svanson.
What does it give the Toronto Blue Jays
With the status of Bo Bichette uncertain after he left Monday night's game due to injury, the Blue Jays added some insurance. DeJong brings elite defensive skills to the infield–he mainly played shortstop for the Cards. On offense, he sometimes sacrifices average for more power. If Bichette is sidelined for an extended period, DeJong should play short regularly. Otherwise, DeJong could see playing time at second base and designated hitter. DeJong is under club control beyond this season.
What does it give the St. Louis Cardinals
In the third trade between St. Louis and Toronto in the past 10 days, the Cardinals have added another pitcher from the Blue Jays system. Svanson is a big right-handed pitcher (6'5", 235 pounds) who sported a 1.11 earned-run average across two minor-league levels this season. Svanson probably projects as a big-league reliever moving forward. The Cardinals will most likely keep him in Double-A ball for the rest of the 2023 minor-league campaign. He should have a future in St. Louis.
Fantasy impact
DeJong's fantasy impact is limited if Bichette returns healthy fairly soon. If he does not, DeJong will be a regular in the Jays lineup, and playing in the AL East might further boost his power numbers. He could be a bench option on a good fantasy team. As for Svanson, he is off the fantasy radar for the time being.
