4:01PM: The commerce has been formally introduced, and the Royals have designated righty John McMillon for task to create roster house for DeJong. McMillon made his MLB debut with 4 innings of two.25 ERA ball with Okay.C. in 2023, however has struggled in posting a 6.53 ERA throughout 30 1/3 innings with Triple-A Omaha this 12 months.
2:51PM: The Royals have bolstered their infield depth by buying shortstop Paul DeJong from the White Sox, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal experiences (by way of X). Proper-handed pitching prospect Jarold Rosado is headed to the Sox in return, as per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Solar-Occasions. The deal will turn out to be official after a medical evaluate. Because the Royals and White Sox are enjoying one another tonight in Chicago, DeJong may be capable of make a fast debut for his new membership in opposition to his previous membership.
In a dismal White Sox season, DeJong has been a comparatively shiny spot, hitting .228/.275/.430 with a team-leading 18 homers in 363 plate appearances. Whereas his 95 wRC+ continues to be under the league common, it nonetheless represents a big step up from the 73 wRC+ DeJong posted over the 2020-23 seasons, whereas hitting .200/.273/.352 in 1213 PA for the Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Giants.
DeJong’s strikeout and stroll charges are among the many lowest in baseball, however he nonetheless makes a good quantity of onerous contact and might generate energy when he does sq. up. Past the power-centric offensive profile, DeJong doesn’t provide a lot within the area, as his glovework has sharply declined after as soon as being one of many sport’s higher defensive shortstops.
Whereas the Royals are greater than set already at shortstop with Bobby Witt Jr., DeJong brings some additional pop to a Okay.C. crew that ranks nineteenth of 30 groups in homers. Witt and Salvador Perez (every with 19 round-trippers) are the one Royals gamers with extra house runs than DeJong, so he might deliver some energy off the bench, or in a part-time capability at second or third base.
The suitable-handed hitting DeJong might pair with the left-handed hitting Michael Massey for a pure platoon on the keystone, or DeJong might get some at-bats forward of the offensively-struggling Maikel Garcia at third base. DeJong hasn’t performed a lot second base in his profession and had by no means performed any third earlier than this season, however one other infield place may be the higher possibility given the decline in his shortstop work.
DeJong is a free agent after the season, making him one of many extra clear-cut gamers to be dealt by the rebuilding White Sox. The infielder (who turns 31 later this week) signed a one-year, $1.75MM take care of Chicago final winter, so the remaining $580K or so on his deal represents a fairly small monetary burden for Kansas Metropolis to imagine.
Rosado simply turned 22 earlier this month, and the previous worldwide signing has a 1.85 ERA, 29.4% strikeout fee, and seven.2% stroll fee over 39 aid innings for A-level Columbia this season. Accidents value Rosado the complete 2022 season and restricted him to 10 innings in 2021 and 26 innings final 12 months, however he has regarded a lot sharper and diminished his stroll fee considerably in his first wholesome professional season.
