3:05 PM: The Cardinals have selected the contract of infielder Kramer Robertson to fill DeJong’s spot on the 26-man roster, the team announced. It’ll be the first taste of the bigs for the versatile 27-year-old.
Drafted out of LSU by the Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2017 amateur draft, Robertson has steadily worked his way through the St. Louis system, posting consistently solid numbers at each level. While he’s never had a ton of power, he has shown the ability to get on base, compiling a .248/.357/.369 triple-slash across five minor-league seasons. Across 100 plate appearances for Triple-A Memphis this year, he’s posted a .225/.380/.400 line.
With Edmundo Sosa likely returning from the COVID IL sooner than later, it could be a relatively short stay in the bigs for Robertson, but the fact he’s been added to the Cardinals 40-man roster could indicate a longer stay. For the time being at least, he’ll serve as the Cards’ primary backup at second, third, and shortstop — potentially sharing time with Brendan Donovan in that role when Sosa returns.
2:21 PM: The Cardinals have optioned shortstop Paul DeJong to Triple-A Memphis, The Athletic’s Katie Woo reports (Twitter link). This clears the path for Tommy Edman to likely take over as the Cards’ regular shortstop.
With only a .130/.209/.208 slash line over his first 86 plate appearances of the season, DeJong’s offensive struggles have become too large for the Cardinals to overlook, even though his typically excellent glovework is still strong. For a team that prizes defense as heavily as the Cards, DeJong’s ability in the field has given him a lot of leeway as a lineup regular, even as his offense has been in decline.
DeJong’s best offensive year is still his 2017 rookie season, as he finished second in NL Rookie Of The Year voting, and the Cards locked him up with a six-year, $26MM contract extension. This was the largest (at the time) contract ever given to a player with under a year of MLB service time, and it isn’t like the extension was a real miscalculation, as per Fangraphs’ calculations, DeJong’s career $8.9 fWAR has been worth $70.9MM over his career.
However, DeJong’s power (74 homers in 2017-19) papered over his lack of average and OBP, but his slugging numbers have dramatically tailed off over the last three years. The result is a 79 wRC+ over 662 PA since the start of the 2020 season.
Edmundo Sosa is currently on the COVID-related injured list, but has started a minor league rehab assignment and appears to be close to a return to St. Louis. That will provide some additional depth at shortstop, plus Brendan Donovan can also play second base, giving the Cardinals some flexibility up the middle.
Edman and Sosa have also both looked good defensively at shortstop, albeit in smaller sample sizes at the big league level. It is possible that moving DeJong wouldn’t lead to that much of a dropoff in glovework at shortstop, though since Edman is himself a reigning Gold Glove winner at second base, the Cardinals undoubtedly have some concern over whether they’d be weakening themselves at several positions. Sosa essentially came out of nowhere to be a solid contributor to the 2021 team, but his limited track record in the majors or minors perhaps makes him something of a risk as a true everyday player.
Of course, the real x-factor here is Nolan Gorman, as the star second-base prospect is crushing Triple-A pitching. It has become apparent that Gorman doesn’t have much left to prove in the minors, and St. Louis hasn’t traditionally been hesitant about calling up star prospects for important roles. Having Edman, Sosa, and Donovan all on hand takes some of the pressure off Gorman to contribute right away, and it also isn’t out of the question that DeJong could return to the mix if he gets on track in the minors.
St. Louis still owes DeJong the remainder of his $6MM salary for the 2022 season, plus $9MM for 2023. The Cardinals have a $12.5MM club option for 2024 that looks like a sure thing to be declined, with DeJong receiving a $2MM buyout. While not a huge sum, if the Cards are really ready to move on from DeJong entirely, they could explore trying to move him before the trade deadline, possibly for another team’s undesirable contract.
Send Paul back to 3rd grade so he can learn the Earth isn’t flat.
DeJong’s career, however, is currently quite flat. Flatlining, even.
Or you can learn what a joke is. Paul DeLong absolutely doesn’t belive the earth is flat.
You preaching that others should learn jokes when you didn’t get one… is priceless. Then again, I don’t know what DeJong “belives” so maybe you can join him in 3rd grade.
Don’t trust anyone with the username of diddlez……
Got him
Well he was a bio-chem major in college so I imagine he gets it. Good guy, smart guy who works hard. It is the defense that concerns me now. Sosa isn’t a big downgrade, and Edman will be more than adequate there, but he is a star 2nd baseman. He isn’t just a GG winner but was on his way to a platinum. Time wull tell.
Sosa is super versatile at many spots, but is hitting as poorly as all our utility guys. He’ll be fine at second while Tommy settles in.
IDK about yall but if I had millions of dollars I also would publicly troll self-righteous people like yourself on social media
AHHHHH LMAOOOOO
Awk-ward.
Call up Gorman says my fantasy team.
…Says every cardinals fan…
Not everybody. While Gorman can slug, he is one dimensional. If he DH’s fine. But now the Redbirds have 4 DHs. Hard to see how Yepez can be benched. And Dickerson and Puhols are doing Ok. I say be patient.
Is Nolan Gorman that bad a defender at 2B? His MiLB defensive numbers at 3B are atrocious but his numbers are actually good at 2B.
What numbers?, I’m curious just because I feel like he’d be a not so rangy second baseman.
Since when is Dickerson doing okay? Yepez is pretty much supplanting him as the primary DH against RHP despite being right-handed himself.
I hope this works. I’m not optimistic, but still. I have total faith Tommy can handle it and Sosa would be ok if nothing else.
Flat Earthers are gaining popularity all around the globe
I enjoyed this comment a lot.
Yeah Larry, well said!
Angels take a flyer? Shouldn’t cost much at this point. Though he looks alot like Velasquez numbers-wise.
Meh. This isn’t an upgrade though. Angels have too many JAG’s in the middle infield already
Gorman is coming soon. They didn’t send DeJong down to play Brendan Donovan every day
That’s because Sosa is returning soon. He gets the next shot while Gorman works on not striking out so much.
The Memphis Redbirds are playing in Norfolk today. It’s a one-hour flight to Baltimore. Get Gorman in the lineup today!
It’s Kramer Robertson.
I don’t understand not bringing up gorman. Guy is on fire. Do they not see the mistake they made not starting the year with yepez? Now they are going to do it again with gorman? Frustrating as a fan.
They have said that once Gorman is called up he will be playing every day…This actually doesn’t;t look good for Robertson as when Gorman is called up he will probably be DFA
My thoughts exactly. I’ll never understand the decision making process behind this front office. Gorman has 12 homers in 100 AB in AAA and they call up Kramer Robertson? Why?!?!
Or, maybe you don’t see what other top prospects have done when they’ve been called up too early. While Gorman has been on fire, he’s done it with an outrageous strikeout ratio. He’s also still very new to second base (less than a full season there). Gorman will be brought up, that’s a given. They are just trying to help him so he doesn’t have to go back down.
Robertson is a utility. He’s never been seen as a starter. He’s a stop gap until Sosa is ready to return probably later this week. At that time Robertson will go right back to Memphis.
Gorman’s strikeout rate is 34% against triple A pitching and he’s cooled off substantially since hitting a flurry of dingers early in the season. He’ll be ready soon, but he’s not there yet.
@643 i agree why rush gorman up atm he is striking out 35% of the time against aaa/aaaa pitching what’s that number going to look like when he is facing mlb pitching. let the kid get regular work at 2nd and hone in his eye, and get the work in. gorman is in the best place for his development he is getting regular ab’s while being around coaches that can help him succeed at the mlb level. coaching at the mlb level isn’t really about how to play but more of getting reps in and going over game day strategies.
Soda is a stop gap as well… Until he hits.
The only issue is Gorman’s strikeout rate.
Seeing as if the game is in St. Louis, your comment makes zero sense
Gorman is all HRs/singles/Ks at AAA. Dude is in got major freaking regression and that kind of regression doesn’t get more palatable at the MLB level. He needs to master AAA before starting that service clock.
Once again the Cardinals front office proves. how incompetent they are by sending up the wrong guy.
Obviously, they’ve watched the incredible success of the Pirates methodology and have decided to use the playbook
Knew something was off with him when he didn’t have 5 XBHs in that 3 game series against the Mets.
Mo has the usual cake on his face for the PDJ extension as well as not making a move for a SS in a loaded SS free agent class. Cardinal fans are just dumb. They would rather see a geriatric catcher and an occasional wayyyyyy past his prime Pujols rather than a team built for post season success,
Hmmm, but yet this team has as good as any of making the postseason. Your logic is interesting for a team that is currently 16-12 and is one game out on the loss side.
@Jimmy, why do you assume Cardinals’ fans wanted this? A lot of fans are fed up with this charade and happy to see the front office actually own up to mistakes by making tangible changes.
Which SS deal is currently looking like the cardinals missed out on? And how are they performing? Which one would the cardinals have been able to sign so I don’t have to read this silly comment?
Actually this is a stupid comment… one of the dumber ones I’ve read on here (and that says alot) cards paid dejong a tiny amount of $ in comparison to the league…. he got paid and did produce some… the SS market was actually stupid financially. Ask the Mets how the lindor thing is going? High end contracts usury fail. Not always but usually
That’s because they’ve still got Sosa and Gorman as solid plans B and C. It’s likely that one of them will work out or even that DeJong finally figures it out in AAA and makes a triumphant return in a few weeks (not likely, but still very possible).
Besides, it’s not like the Cardinals could’ve afforded to sign any of those high level free agent shortstops in the first place.
Yadier Molina is still one of the best catchers in MLB.
I’m glad Robertson is getting a small cup of coffee. He’s been a good soldier.
I don’t fully understand starting Brendan Donovan at short tonight, but I assume they don’t want to fuel the Gorman fire by playing Edman anywhere else but second right now.
None of our bench guys are hitting, so Donovan will be fine for a day or two while Tommy gets his legs under him. Plus, theoretically there’s a bit of breathing room since it’s a three-game stint against the hapless O’s while adjustments are made.
This is a good time to make the switch and see how it goes for Paul.
I don’t know.. If something is working, don’t screw it up. Edman needs to stay at second base. Mess with whatever else, but not with what’s working.
@rondon i agree tommy is a gg 2b why weaken our d to shoehorn a guy who may not be ready for mlb action. don’t get me wrong i want to gorman in the mlb but let’s not rush this kid let him get his work in and most importantly figure out pitch recognition and maybe have him start taking starts a ss instead of 2b, imo you don’t move a gg to another pos for a rookie, our strength is our d and moving players out of position just weakens us
Edman can play short in his sleep.
I don’t know if you’ve watched the orioles at all this year but it’s not a hopeless team like the Cincinatri reds.
They’ll compete hard. The team isn’t good but they’re not out there rolling over.BUT you do get the #4/5 starters for the orioles in the first 2. Which should bode well.
Didn’t he have enough service time to refuse being optioned? Would the Cardinals have been off the hook for all that money if he did that?
Paul had two options left. This uses one of them. The Cards are on the hook for allllll the money this year and next, barring a trade, which…won’t happen.
It’s not strictly about service time. It’s about how many calendar years a player gets sent back to the minors after making his Major Legaue debut. Technically, Albert Pujols still has all 3 of his option years remaining.
Now where service time does matter is that a player with 5+ years of service time can refuse the minor league assignment and become a free agent, but DeJong is just shy of the necessary 5 years needed to do so.
My crystal ball says Gorman will be up in mid August.
Your crystal eight ball.
Maybe now Kramer will stop bursting into my apartment unannounced.
kramer, or donovan will be sent down when sosa comes back. no way all three stay
The same dudes hating on Dejong are the same ones who wanted to sign Trevor Story at all cost because he was on the Rockies Arenado. The same ones who kept scrutinizing Matt Holliday because of his contract.
I hope Dejong can get his swing right.
@codeeg i hope dejong can figure it out i really like the dude and he’s a gamer but i’m not holding out hope i think this is who dejong is. a weak bat with some pop and lil bit above average d. heck on 101 the other day the fast lane was asking if they could let wanio dh for dejong
I was one who wanted the Yankees to try to get DeJong in the offseason because of his defense, most notably, but also because I really believed he could get his swing right. Didn’t expect this outcome, but there is still time for him to revamp/correct his swing. He was successful once already, so obviously it’s still there. Sometimes, they just can’t get it back though.
Who???? Gorman must be thinking just trade me…