Buy or Sell: St. Louis Cardinals Early Season Performances

Paul Goldschmidt (46) celebrates with third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) after the Cardinals defeated the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Paul Goldschmidt (46) celebrates with third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) after the Cardinals defeated the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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St Louis Cardinals
Paul DeJong #11 of the St. Louis Cardinals in action against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 30, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Paul DeJong

2022 Stats: .139/.262/.278, 1 HR, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 SB, 15 SO, 0.3 WAR

Verdict: Buy

Easily the biggest question mark facing the 2022 St. Louis Cardinals’ lineup was what version of Paul DeJong was going to show up for this season. Unfortunately for DeJong and the club, DeJong continues to look far removed from his past All-Star self.

DeJong still possess the power necessary to change a game with one swing of the bat, and is one of the better defensive shortstops in all of baseball. The issues remain the same with DeJong though, high strikeout rate paired with low on-base skills, and the power is just not consistent enough to balance that out.

With Edmundo Sosa, Tommy Edman, Brendan Donavan, and Nolan Gorman all vying for playing time in the middle infield, DeJong may find himself losing playing time quickly, and based on his start to the season, I was predict his struggles continue as other names rise to replace him in the lineup.