Paul DeJong ranks among the many high 20 shortstops in a number of major-league defensive classes since 2018.
The Chicago White Sox have been trying to find regular gloves up the center, and so they formally added to that assortment Tuesday by signing DeJong to a one-year, $1.75 million contract. Reports of the deal first surfaced Nov. 21.
DeJong, who went to Antioch High School and Illinois State, has a .229/.299/.417 profession slash line with 120 doubles, 116 dwelling runs, 344 RBIs and 341 runs in 729 video games throughout seven seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals (2017-23), Toronto Blue Jays (2023) and San Francisco Giants (2023).
He had a mixed .207 common with 13 doubles, 14 dwelling runs, 38 RBIs and 41 runs in 112 video games between the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Giants in 2023.
The Cardinals traded DeJong to the Blue Jays on Aug. 1. He was launched Aug. 21, signed with the Giants on Aug. 23 and launched once more Sept. 21.
DeJong, 30, completed second in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2017 after slashing .285/.325/.532 with 25 dwelling runs and 65 RBIs in 108 video games. In 2019 he earned an All-Star choice — ending with profession highs in dwelling runs (30) and RBIs (78) in 159 video games — and was a finalist for the NL Gold Glove Award.
Since the beginning of the 2018 season, DeJong ranks third amongst major-league shortstops in final zone ranking (28.4), sixth in defensive runs saved (41), 14th in defensive runs above common (33.1) and 18th in outs above common (14).
Earlier this month, Sox basic supervisor Chris Getz mentioned the workforce’s want to enhance defensively.
“It’s just having steady defenders across the diamond and all spots in the outfield as well,” Getz mentioned on the GM conferences. “It allows our pitchers to do a lot more and be more efficient and keep pitch counts down just by attacking the zone, knowing their defense can make plays.”
Since then, the Sox made a six-player commerce with the Atlanta Braves that included buying infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake. Lopez, who went to Naperville Central, made two errors in 277 probabilities in 2023. He has performed second base, shortstop and third.
The commerce with the Braves and DeJong’s signing come after the Sox declined their 2024 choice on shortstop Tim Anderson, making the two-time All-Star a free agent.
The Sox will proceed to observe the progress of their high prospect, shortstop Colson Montgomery. The 21-year-old completed the 2023 season with Double-A Birmingham and in addition participated within the Arizona Fall League.
“I will say that whether it be feedback from other organizations, the coaches on the Glendale (Ariz.) team and certainly my personal assessment, it was an impressive Fall League for him,” Getz mentioned throughout a Nov. 17 video convention name. “What he did within the field, the selections he makes, the temperament, the under-control operation that he has actually stands out.
“And then defensively, he was a solid defender at shortstop. He was certainly one of the players that was talked about.”
In Tuesday’s corresponding transfer on the 40-man roster, the Sox designated Adam Haseley for project. The outfielder went 8-for-36 (.222) with two doubles, two RBIs and 6 runs in 28 video games for the Sox in 2023.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com