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Paul DeJong
Many fans and experts saw this coming from a mile away, but when the Cardinals relied on Paul DeJong to be the primary shortstop in 2022, things went horribly wrong.
DeJong slashed .157/.245/.286 with 6 HR and 25 RBI in 77 games for St. Louis. Even after an extended stint in AAA to work on his struggles, DeJong had an OPS of just .596 in his final 133 ABs. Most people could tell you before 2022 that DeJong’s time in St. Louis should be done, but that is now all but a certainty.
The Cardinals have Tommy Edman and Brendan Donovan who can handle shortstop duties, so there really is no reason to roster DeJong and his $9 million salary for the 2023 season. The best St. Louis can hope for with DeJong is that they are able to find a suitor for him if the Cardinals eat most of his salary. Otherwise, DeJong could just be released by St. Louis.
It is a sad ending to what was once a promising career for DeJong in St. Louis. A change of scenery could jumpstart his career again, but his time has run its course in this organization.