The St. Louis Cardinals have traded outfielder Jon Jay to the San Diego Padres in exchange for second baseman Jedd Gyorko and cash. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports first reported Gyorko was going to the Cardinals while Keith Law of ESPN reported Jay was the player coming back.
St. Louis Cardinals acquire Padres INF Jedd Gyorko and cash considerations for OF Jon Jay.
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) December 8, 2015
Clarification: Gyorko owed $33M. #STLCards taking on $26M. Not including Jay’s salary, #Padres save nearly $20M over next four years.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 8, 2015
The move represents two different mindsets.
The Padres don’t get much here in terms of baseball talent, but they do clear most of the $32 million owed to Gyorko over the next four seasons. The 31-year-old Jay is due to make $6.85 million next year and is free agent at season’s end. He appeared in 79 games for the Cardinals in 2015, and produced abysmal numbers with one home run, 10 RBI, no stolen bases, and a .210 average. Jay has never been a power hitter but is known for his ability to get on base (.354 career OBP). He struggled with multiple injuries last season. The Padres outfield depth is weak, so as of now, Jay slots in as a fringe starter.
Gyorko’s career has been a roller coaster thus far. Once a top prospect in baseball, he had his best career season in 2013, where he hit 23 home runs as a rookie. The Padres took what seemed like a small chance when they inked him to a team-friendly five-year, $35 million contract extension in early 2014, but it turned out to be a dud. Since then, his power has dropped and on-base percentage (career .293) hasn’t improved. In 2015, he hit 16 home runs in 128 games but managed only a .247 average and a .297 OBP. He had a horrific start to the year and was demoted to Triple-A for three weeks in early June. His power returned, as he hit 11 home runs from August 3rd to the end of the season, but his low OBP and average remained. Originally a third baseman converted to a second baseman, he ended up playing some shortstop last year, sticking with the position from mid-August onwards. At 27, he’s still young enough to turn things around.
Where Gyorko fits is hard to say, as the Cardinals have a very good infield with starters entrenched at second, short, and third. He’ll most likely get some time as a utility infielder and perhaps could see some run at first base.
The Padres get salary relief, while the Cardinals take a chance on a reclamation project. Sounds like a fair deal for both parties.
