Blue Jays acquire shortstop DeJong from Cardinals; Bichette day-to-day with knee injury

Shortstop Paul DeJong was acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals hours before Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline.

St. Louis. St. Louis will pay Toronto $1,475,806 US, covering half the $2,951,613 remaining in DeJong's $9 million salary this year. If DeJong's $12.5 million team option for 2024 is declined, the Cardinals would pay the Blue Jays $1 million to cover half the $2 million buyout.

The swap was announced a day after all-star shortstop Bo Bichette left Toronto's 4-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles with a knee injury.

Toronto also got cash considerations from the Cardinals, sending pitching prospect Matt Svanson, 24, to St. Louis.

Toronto general manager Ross Atkins is scheduled to speak with media around 6:45 p.m. about the DeJong deal and any other moves the team may make.

Career-best 30 homers in 2019

DeJong has 13 home runs, 32 runs batted in and a .233 batting average in 81 games this season.

The 29-year-old has played his entire seven-year career so far with the Cardinals, who drafted him in the fourth round of the MLB draft in 2015.

In 2019, DeJong hit a career-high 30 home runs and 78 RBI and was named an all-star.

The Blue Jays designated outfielder Jordan Luplow for assignment to make room for DeJong on the 40-man roster.

It's the third trade between Toronto and St. Louis in two weeks.

• Left-handed reliever Genesis Cabrera was acquired from St. Louis on July 21 for minor-league catcher Sammy Hernandez. Atkins noted before that deal adding a lefty to his right-dominated bullpen would be one way to add depth.
• Right-handed reliever Jordan Hicks was then added to Toronto's bullpen Sunday in a second deal with the Cardinals, sending right-handed pitching prospects Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse to St. Louis in return.

Atkins spoke with media on Monday about the deal for Hicks and noted the talks for Cabrera paved the way for the second deal.

"They're spending time on our organization, understanding where their values are on our players," said Atkins on the benefits of making several deals with the same team. "We've had success with them in the past and dealing with [Cardinals team president] John Mozeliak and their entire front office, so it certainly does help."

Bichette day-to-day, avoids big injury

An MRI of the 25-year-old Bichette's knee revealed no significant structural damage, just some inflammation.

"I think it was the best possible outcome," said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. "You just never know with a dude that plays every day.

"I'm just happy with the news that we got so far."

A two-time all-star, Bichette leads Toronto with a .321 average this season and 17 home runs. He has the highest batting average in the American League and fourth best in Major League Baseball.

Bichette was not in the clubhouse ahead of Tuesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, but Schneider said he had paid a visit to his teammates earlier in the day.

"He's feeling OK. He was moving around in the clubhouse a little bit today," said Schneider. "We all know Bo, he wants to be out there every single day.

"He won't be in there today, but he's doing alright."

Santiago Espinal was pencilled into Toronto's lineup at shortstop against the Orioles.

Utility infielder Ernie Clement was also at Toronto's ballpark but only as a member of the team's taxi squad and not officially on the 40-man roster.