Jedd Gyorko was paid by the San Diego Padres to hit home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Right there entails the bittersweet reaction to Gyorko being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for spare parts, basically mid-tier prospect and a bag of cash.
Over his three-plus years here, Gyorko hit 63 home runs, smashed 49 doubles, and slugged .456. He wouldn't be confused for an outstanding player, but he played the part of utility asset very well, providing sound defense and power at the plate, with the occasional inning of work on the mound.
Show me a better bang for buck from a veteran player during the years of 2016-17. He was paid $10 million ($8 million from the Cardinals), hit 50 home runs and maintained an OPS over .800. The 6.7 WAR is pretty sharp as well. He was whatever the team needed, excelling wherever he was put.
Every player doesn't have to be a superstar, just ask Cardinal superfan, Lauren Bundy.
"People don't understand that you don't have to be Mike Trout or Cody Bellinger to have an impact on someone," Bundy said. "I had the pleasure of meeting Jedd twice while he was a Cardinal and he was the nicest guy. He was a class act and played the game as hard as he could."
He struggled last year, hitting .262 and seeing his home run total, SLUG, and OPS fall moderately with the same amount of playing time. He still managed to put up brefWAR of 2.0, which would still count as a bargain compared to his salary, but something wasn't there.
The struggles continued into 2019, where Gyorko couldn't get off the Injured List, whether it was a calf strain or another seemingly minor upper-body injury. He was set to come back at several junctures but ended up hurt and back on the bench. I have a feeling the Cardinals would have liked to use his bat, but they went for Yairo Munoz and Tommy Edman instead. Too bad Gyorko, at least when healthy, is better than both.
I get it. The business is a tough one, and players come and go. I simply wish Gyorko had a better ending than a groundout on June 7 in the top of the fourth at Wrigley Field. While he hit two home runs this year, the most notable appearance for Gyorko would April 26 when he pitched in a Reds blowout. What a game, full of surprises, most of which being sinister.
I think Gyorko will help the Dodgers. They need some infield depth and will utilize the 30-year-old journeyman perfectly. He goes from one first-place team to another, albeit a more comfortable lead in the landing location. I'd place a loose bet on him doing something in the playoffs. Baseball is funny like that.
He will remain one of John Mozeliak's best deals. He came here in a trade involving Jon Jay, who quickly moved on from San Diego. The Padres ended up paying Gyorko to play in St. Louis. They ended up paying St. Louis (and Los Angeles now) $9.5 million for Gyorko to don another uniform and hit dingers.
One will never forget Gyorko's ability to turn on a fastball, or the fact that acquiring him helped his attack on Redbird pitching go away. He'll join David Freese in Los Angeles.
Some players are studs. Some are less than stellar. Others just do a good job. Bundy will miss watching Gyorko do his thing in St. Louis, but that won't stop her from rooting for the player even though he's changed jerseys. "I'm going to miss him so much, but I do hope he is successful in LA and I hope he loves playing for the Dodgers."
Gyorko, over his three-plus years in St. Louis, did a good job. An unceremonious departure shouldn't muddle a fine stint in this town.
Now, about the other trades Mozeliak and the Cardinals were going to make ... please stand by until November.
