MLB rumors: Cardinals infielder wanted by Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins?
Among the Cardinals who could be dealt at the MLB trade deadline is shortstop Paul DeJong, who is scheduled to become a free agent at the end of the season. A tweet circulating on Thursday afternoon indicated that both the Miami Marlins and Boston Red Sox had interest in DeJong, and interest was piqued even further when DeJong was not in the St. Louis starting lineup for Thursday’s series opener against the Chicago Cubs. However, there seemed to be a logical reason for his absence.
Just a day off for Paul DeJong, I'm told. Cardinals open four-game set with Cubs tonight at Busch. ... FWIW, he and Nootbaar went into yesterday tied for most games played in the majors in July.
— Lynn Worthy (@LWorthySports) July 27, 2023
DeJong has heated up at the right time for the Cardinals to improve his trade value, slashing .271/.314/.375 in 51 plate appearances since the All-Star break. However, while DeJong’s batting average has improved, his power numbers have taken a bit of a dive. After coming back from a back injury that had him on the injured list to start the season, DeJong smacked 12 home runs in 245 plate appearances before the Midsummer Classic. He has just one home run since.
It’s also about defense for DeJong as he is in the 94th percentile in Outs Above Average per Baseball Savant.