For a few years, with the Cardinals, he was a consistent, surprising infield bat, with an incredible 2019 season, defensive perks, and an ability to hit for power. Then after a while he completely fell off, and for a few years he just...couldn't get a damned thing done at the plate. The Cardinals cut him last year, he bopped along, wound up starting for the last place White Sox this year and doing well, then was surprise upgrade by the Royals. And at that point he starts playing amazingly and supplanting a killer playoff case.
Now...I may be pulling this out of my ass. But Paul deJong fell apart around the same time the Cardinals did, bided his time and wound up on a much better, upwardly rising Missouri team. Perhaps this was his plan all along.
With the Royals, deJong has become a flexible, versatile infield bat, who's already hitting .244 with 6 homers and 15 RBIs. deJong is also close to his second 30-homer year, and first since 2019. He's just six away, and seeing as he hit 18 in four months it's not unheard of for him to hit another 6 this month. deJong has made for a nice platoon at third with Maikel Garcia, and has added to the Royals' infield flexibility in general, as they plug Yuli Gurriel in at 1st to cover for Vinnie Pasquantino. It feels like he has more power as a member of this unit than he did in St. Louis.
Which is funny, because the Cardinals, after years of cycling different parts and progressions of their organization around, seem to be locking in for a lot of positions. Brendan Donovan seems to be the answer at 2nd, and is having another strong season defensively. Michael Siani seems to be the answer at CF, as he had an unexpected breakout season there this year. And Jordan Walker and Victor Scott are still getting chances at the corner positions. Meaning what was going to be the feel-good Cardinals story of the year, Tommy Pham returning to hit for contact, got lopped off at the knees when Pham got DFA'd.
So now Pham's joined deJong in Kansas City, which is kinda fitting. I see them both as members of the late-2010s Cardinals regime, both were on for a while and suddenly off for even longer, both had clutch moments like you wouldn't believe. Pham's currently hitting .296 as a Royal, with 4 RBIs in 7 games. This is Pham's seventh team in three years. One might get the sense from that, as well as the fact that he picked a fight with Joc Pederson over something as silly as fantasy football, that people don't enjoy having Tommy Pham on their team, and I think the fact that he's performed WELL for all seven of those teams speaks to the contrary. Pham isn't exactly a babyface type MLB character, his heel turn was expected. But he can still contact hit like hell, and he's still a crucial piece no matter where he plays. Pham has 9 different MLB teams under his belt. He's 36 and hitting competently. I say he keeps going.
The Cardinals are looking like they're gonna finish the year without a playoff appearance, all while across the state the Royals have enough of a youth movement, and enough pure power, to propel them to a wild card spot. It's a welcome changing of the guard, and it says more about Matt Quatraro's ability to build an inherited team than it does Oli Marmol's.
Coming Tonight: The Rays traded him for a contact bat. Without realizing they have enough contact bats and they really should hang onto some power bats.
Best title of the day. Thanks!
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