9:51am: The Nationals have officially announced DeJong’s signing. Right-hander Josiah Gray was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room for the infielder on the 40-man roster.
6:54am: The Nationals are in agreement with infielder Paul DeJong on a one-year deal that guarantees him $1MM, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, DeJong’s deal includes $600K in potential incentives. The Nationals’ 40-man roster is full, but the club has multiple candidates for the 60-day IL who can be placed on the shelf to make room for DeJong once the signing becomes official.
DeJong, 31, was a fourth-round pick by the Cardinals back in 2015 and rose through the minors quickly to make his big league debut in 2017 at the age of 23. DeJong looked quite good in his first season in the majors, slashing .285/.325/.532 (123 wRC+) and clubbing 25 homers in just 108 games while splitting time between shortstop and second base. DeJong finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting to Cody Bellinger that year, and by the time 2018 rolled around he had established himself as the Cardinals’ everyday shortstop.
Prior to DeJong’s second season with St. Louis, the sides agreed to a six-year extension that ran through the 2023 season with club options for 2024 and ’25 that guaranteed him $26MM. Over the next two seasons, DeJong clubbed 49 homers in 274 games but hit just .237/.316/.440 (102 wRC+) overall as the .349 BABIP that sustained his star-caliber rookie season crashed down to a below average .271 BABIP. Even as his bat fell to something closer to league average, however, DeJong’s strong work on defense was enough to justify his extension and place in the Cardinals’ lineup as an everyday fixture.
DeJong’s offense continued to take a tumble from there, however. While his defense remained respectable, DeJong hit just .200/.273/.352 (72 wRC+) from 2020 to 2023, and ultimately found himself bouncing between the Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Giants in the final guaranteed year of his contract extension. DeJong eventually signed with the White Sox on a one-year, $1.75MM deal last winter, hoping to rebuild his value while taking over for Tim Anderson as the regular shortstop on the south side of Chicago. 2024 turned into a solid rebound season for DeJong, as he ultimately posted a decent .227/.276/.427 (95 wRC+) slash line with 24 homers in 139 games, his best power output in half a decade. DeJong split his season between the White Sox and Royals. He moved to third base in deference to Bobby Witt Jr. upon being dealt to Kansas City and proved to be a superlative defender at the position despite his glove work at shortstop hovering around the league average.
Now that DeJong is set to join the Nationals for the 2025 season, it seems likely he’ll serve as the club’s everyday third baseman. It’s a role that previously seemed likely to go to a platoon of Jose Tena and Amed Rosario, but Tena’s career wRC+ of just 80 does not inspire confidence in him as a starting caliber player while Rosario has the versatility to move around the infield and outfield as needed while playing primarily against left-handed pitchers. It’s possible Rosario could even be tasked with spelling DeJong against some lefties, as while both veterans are right-handed hitters Rosario is a career .298/.337/.460 hitter against southpaws while DeJong actually has reverse splits both for his career and in 2024. In addition to likely serving as the club’s primary third baseman, DeJong gives the Nationals a viable backup to CJ Abrams at shortstop with better defense at the position than either Abrams or Rosario.
The signing should significantly raise the floor for the Nationals on the infield, offering the club a solid defender at third base who has enough pop in his bat to provide 20 homers a year in spite of below-average on-base ability. That’s an undeniably useful player for a Nationals club that saw its third basemen finish third from the bottom in both wRC+ (67) and fWAR (-0.4) last year. DeJong should be able to easily clear both of those benchmarks, and in doing so allow the club to be patient with top third base prospect Brady House as he establishes himself against Triple-A pitchers this season with an eye toward making his big league debut later this year. Once House is ready to take over at the hot corner, DeJong could become impressive bench depth for the Nationals or a potential trade piece over the summer, depending on where the club is in the standings at that point.
Another cheap bat with upside the Pirates could have been on. Most frustrating team in pro sports
He should be named Strike Out Machine. He is always swinging for the fences – 180K/20HR
Swing away Merrill Hess.
$1M!? Seems low, Pauly just had a plus 1 WAR back in 21, he’s due baby! Ahahahahaha!
I enjoyed watching DeJong play for the Cardinals. He had some good seasons and was underrated on his defense.
17dizzy: Looking at the photo up top, it loo
I enjoyed watching him play for the Sox in 2024. He was one of a very few players on that team who was of major league caliber, and played like it.
You get what you pay for.
Everything they hoped for from Carter Key-Bust.
I can see them being frustrating to their fans with their SP, but think about Baltimore and Seattle. They’re so close but basically refuse to finish it off
It’s frustrating being a Mariners fans, too.
He torches the Mets and while he is in the division, as a Met fan I say anywhere but Atlanta.
Jeff Kosnett: DeJong only has 118 at-bats in 30 games against the Mets. Not a statistically significant sample size.
Idiot_Wind: But there are other teams besides the Pirates.
Pirates definitely have questions, but Paul Dejong isn’t the answer to any of them.
I really thought it would have been the Yankees signing him.
Nats starting 3B?
He might start platooning with Tena, but it should not take long for Tena to claim 3B as his.
Tena will likely be optioned.
Dejong has reverse splits and will tandem with Amed Rosario
Tena is a butcher in the field. Dejong is holding for House. Tena is going to Rochester to play 2b.
Solid signing. Provides depth at 3rd, RH power, reliable defense, and insurance in case CJ has more growing up pains.
Hoping Brady House is the real deal / will be ready this time next year to take the 3B spot. Another lame signing at that position since Rendon left
WOW I thought NATS infield is fully filled with CJ at SS and Amed Rosario at 3B, and Nunez & Tena & Lipscomb & Chaparro as backups. Why did they sign Rosario and DeJong , they seem to play overlapping positions?
DeJong is a solid defensive IF. Much better than Rosario at 3B. And excellent insurance at SS too.
Because you have no idea what you’ll get from any of them. They up their chances of hitting on someone by doing this. And all of them are cheap. So it’s not like they’ll have some 8 figure player riding the pine.
You could have skipped the sentences around and all of them are cheap.
Good to know , thx
Tena and Chaparro showed flashes at the plate but their floors are well below old pros like Rosario and Dejong. Lipscomb has never shown MLB chops. Nunez is useful only as pinch runner. Nats have a significantly stronger bench now.
Occasional homer and good defensive but man, that .250 obp is tough to deal with as a starter.
Lord, if he really is only signing for 1 mil, Braves should have jumped all over that. He’s an upgrade from Arcia at the plate and his glove isn’t much different than Arcia, cause Braves fans completely overrate Arcia’s glove as he’s just a very avg fielder by the metrics. DeJong would have at a minimum been a great bench piece and put some competition on Arcia to hit better
Bummer, I wanted the Cubs to grab him as insurance for Shaw’s rookie season and back-up if Nico is slow on his rehab. At only $1 mil this should have been a no brainer for Jed after missing on the Bregman reach.
Totally agree. I was screaming for this guy regardless of the Shaw situation. An absolute no brainer for the Cubs so called brain trust.
Backs up multiple positions. Solid bench piece.
Hoyer blew this one big time.
Wow! Are you really complaining because your favorite team missed out on DeJong? Raise your standards. He only looked good because he was playing on the CWS. 3B is such a thin group of talent.
Jose Iglesias is still available. He’s more of a middle infielder but played 3B also.
This is a good, sensible signing for the Nats, which is a sad statement considering this would not be a good, sensible signing for about 25 other teams.
Which is why it is depressing for Nats fans.
Just another Solid signing by Rizzo!!!
Nats will fly by their 72 wins from last year and be contenders next year…
It’s like the calm before the Storm!!!…lol
I will enjoy watching the kids grow this year into Men…
Rosario and DeJong aren’t kids.
Gnats making good moves.
I was hoping the Crew would bring him in to give him a shot at third. This was a hard sell of an offseason to Brewer fans looking to replace Adames.
I’m very surprised the Brewers have done nothing for 3B. I understand the idea of going internal, but it’s not a bad idea to sign a cheap vet.
DeJong is an upgrade from Joey Gallo.
Joey k played first base for them. If he can be an upgrade over nick senzel, I will be happy. Tat man sucked at AAA last year. They seem to be hoping for a lot from him but he may just be a bust.
On THAT we can agree. Where IS Jerry Callo anyway?
We’ll never forget you here in Toronto. Although your stay was only 13 games over 18 days, you left us before we could thank you for your .068 average. All the reports you see when Canadians boo the American anthem are because of Paul.
I wish I could get a job for a meager $1mm.
I see that Carter Kieboom is in the Angels organization now. They must be collecting all the Washington 3B who are no longer any good. Now we know who will sign DeJong for 2026 if he has a disappointing 2025.
The angels may have brady house in three or four years.
THE CUBS NEVER HAD A CHANCE. THE SYSTEM IS SO BROKEN AT THIS POINT I QUIT BEING A BASEBALL FAN. ITS TOO TOUGH WATCHING THE MARLINS AND A’S UNABLE TO COMPETE WITH THE REST OF THE LEAGUE. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN DOMINANT TEAMS BEFORE THE DODGERS RUINED THE GAME.
That was a positive write-up about DeJong and I appreciate the effort.
DeJong was a comer for the Cards but went to hell very quickly. I was angered each time he played a game those last 5 years and read so glad he was traded. I was afraid he would be resigned for 24 instead of ???. Thank goodness he was not. Buthe appears to be improving. If he lets go of his stubbornness he might make a decent infielder for a few more year.
I’m gonna be a believer in the man. The IM in salary is an insult. I hope that incentives him rather than demoralizes him.
Another guy was too expensive for Yankees at 3B.
Go ISU Redbirds!!!
Talk about “fantasy” baseball. In what world is a .227 BA “decent”? Or a .276 OBP? DeJong may be the most dumpster-dive-y move yet by Rizzo. No thanks. I’d rather see Tena get a chance at a full-time job. We at least know he can hit. DeJong is a good bench player. Good D, occasional power. Expecting more than that is folly.