In a move long overdue—though jarring, nonetheless—the Cardinals demoted Paul DeJong, optioning the shortstop to Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday. An All-Star as recently as 2019, DeJong has had a disastrous start to the year, batting an anemic .130 with 25 strikeouts in 86 plate appearances. He wasn’t much better last season, slumping to a .197 average, albeit with 19 homers (about one every 19 at-bats) and strong fielding metrics (six defensive runs saved).
DeJong’s recent struggles would suggest he benefited greatly from the “juiced ball” that was prevalent early in his career, especially during his breakout 2019 (30 homers, 78 RBI), though the 28-year-old’s sudden decline could also be due to other factors like injuries and waning confidence. Athletes are very much creatures of habit and the disjointed nature of the past several seasons, complicated by COVID and a three-month labor crisis that delayed the start of spring training, did DeJong no favors, preventing him from establishing any real consistency. Still, after emerging as a big-league regular and middle-of-the-lineup staple for St. Louis, challenging Cody Bellinger for National League Rookie of the Year honors in 2017, seeing DeJong’s production fall off a cliff has been one of the most puzzling developments in all of baseball.
DeJong addressed his demotion late Tuesday night, releasing a statement through his agent, Burton Rocks.
DeJong’s frustration is tangible, though so is his determination to make it back to St. Louis, vowing to do whatever it takes to overcome this latest setback. It’s hard not to root for DeJong in his redemption arc, desperately clawing to remain relevant in a vicious sport that chews players up and spits them out. Baseball is a fight for survival and the bitter disappointment of being sent down is the kind of demoralizing rock bottom you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. The good news is, it’s not permanent and, afforded a lower-stakes setting devoid of the distractions and expectations that make the majors so ominous, it’s easy to envision DeJong returning to the All-Star form he showed only a few short seasons ago.
As poorly as he’s played this year, fans were largely empathetic toward DeJong on social media, assuring him the best part of his career is still to come. Let’s hope they’re right.
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