White Sox, Mets Reportedly Finalists For Erick Fedde
10:20pm: The Mets and White Sox appear to be the two finalists for Fedde’s services, Feinsand reports (on X). It is expected that the righty will agree to terms by tomorrow.
4:42pm: Free agent right-hander Erick Fedde is nearing agreement on a two-year deal with an unspecified team, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (X link). The 2023 KBO MVP is expected to surpass $5MM annually on his upcoming contract.
If the deal is completed, Fedde will return to the majors after one season in South Korea. The 30-year-old turned in an excellent year for the NC Dinos, allowing 2.00 earned runs per nine across 180 1/3 innings. He struck out an excellent 29.5% of batters faced while walking under 5% of opposing hitters.
The 18th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Fedde had spent his entire MLB career with the Nationals. The UNLV product appeared on the back end of Top 100 prospect lists prior to his big league debut midway through the 2017 campaign. He missed time the following season with shoulder inflammation and bounced between Washington and Triple-A in 2019.
Fedde carved out a spot in the Nats rotation during the shortened 2020 campaign. He’d hold that role for the next three seasons, combining to log 310 2/3 innings over 67 appearances between 2020-22. The results weren’t great, as he posted a 5.42 ERA with a middling 18.1% strikeout rate. The Nationals declined to tender him an arbitration contract last offseason, setting the stage for his move to the KBO.
The dominant showing in a generally hitter-friendly foreign league set the stage for a quick return to the majors. In addition to the improved performance, it seems he overhauled his pitch mix. Fedde told Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post in August that he’d developed more horizontal action on his slider and tweaked the grip on his changeup. That altered arsenal has clearly intrigued a few teams, as reports indicated Fedde was receiving interest from multiple MLB clubs this winter.
Trade Notes: Cease, Glasnow, Braves
The free agent market for pitchers has been much more active than for position players so far this winter. Seven of MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents have signed new deals, and six have been pitchers: Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, Reynaldo López, Nick Martinez, and Luis Severino. Moreover, 11 different pitchers have already signed for $10MM or more; no position player has crossed the eight-figure threshold.
Still, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto unlikely to sign during the Winter Meetings, it’s possible the market for starting pitching could slow down, as suitors wait for Yamamoto to make his decision and other frontline starters (namely Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery) wait for Yamamoto to set the going rate. With that in mind, perhaps the various starting pitchers on the trade block will draw even more attention during the next four days.
Indeed, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the market for 2022 Cy Young runner-up Dylan Cease is “robust,” noting that the Dodgers, Braves, and Orioles – among other teams – are involved in trade talks with the White Sox. Further clubs that have been linked to Cease in recent days include the Mets and Cardinals.
Last week, Morosi reported that discussions around Cease had “intensified” and suggested a deal before the Winter Meetings was “increasingly possible.” However, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic threw cold water on that rumor, reporting that White Sox general manager Chris Getz would most likely wait to trade Cease until more of the top free agent starters were off the board. While no further frontline starters have signed in the last few days, Morosi’s report about the robust market for Cease at the Winter Meetings is enough to rekindle speculation about a potential trade in the coming days. After all, if the White Sox have their eye on any particular trade chips, they’d be smart to strike before those chips are spent on Tyler Glasnow or Shane Bieber instead.
Some more trade-related news from around baseball…
- Speaking of Glasnow, the Rays starter is generating a great deal of interest, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. While it shouldn’t come as any surprise that plenty of teams would love the right-hander in their rotation – he had a 3.53 ERA and 3.08 SIERA in 21 starts last season – it is noteworthy that he’s drawing so much interest so soon. His $25MM salary for the 2024 season is much more than Cease or Bieber will earn in arbitration, and there are plenty of free agent pitchers available who will only cost money, rather than money and prospects. Evidently, however, his talent is enough to outweigh his price tag.
- Speaking on a Zoom call with members of the media, Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos emphasized that the team is not planning to trade any of its young players signed to long-term extensions (as relayed by Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). While Anthopoulos qualified his statement with the caveat of “special circumstances,” the executive stressed with “absolute, fierce confidence” that he is “extremely unlikely” to trade anyone from his cost-controlled young core. That group includes Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, Spencer Strider, and 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr., all of whom are under team control through at least the 2027 season.
NL Notes: Cease, Braves, Nationals, Hampson, D’Backs
The Braves are known to have trade interest in Dylan Cease, and given the team’s penchant for signing players to long-term extensions, locking up a Georgia native like Cease would seem like a logical next step if a deal can be worked out to obtain the righty from the White Sox. However, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal points out a possible obstacle — Cease is represented by Scott Boras, who traditionally advises his clients to test free agency rather than sign long-term extensions.
Enough high-profile Boras clients have signed extensions that this isn’t at all a hard-and-fast rule, since as Rosenthal notes, Boras will ultimately operate according to his client’s demands. But it is perhaps noteworthy for this particular scenario, since Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos rarely acquires Boras Corporations clients, even though both Anthopoulos and Boras have denied any lack of communication or lack of connection between the two sides. Trading for and extending Cease would be a way of putting this narrative to bed, though it remains to be seen if Atlanta will instead opt for another frontline pitcher besides Cease as the Braves continue to look for rotation help.
More from the National League…
- Not much has changed in the Lerner family’s attempts to sell the Nationals, as the search is now approaching two full years since news first broke of the Lerners’ explorations about a sale. The Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes provides something of an update on the situation, though Ted Leonsis remains the top suitor but still seems unwilling to meet the Lerners’ desired price of around $2.4 billion. Leonsis’ last offer topped the $2 billion mark, but the Lerners don’t appear in any hurry to make a sale unless Leonsis or another bidder ups the ante. The seemingly neverending dispute with the Orioles about MASN broadcasting revenues also still remains a sticking point in any ownership discussions. In terms of how this translates to the on-field product, Janes notes that the Nationals’ low payroll has more to do with the team’s rebuild strategy than it does a concerted effort to cut costs in advance of a potential sale.
- The Diamondbacks had some interest in Garrett Hampson before the utilityman signed with the Royals earlier this week, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. The versatile Hampton would’ve been a backup at several positions off the bench, and in particularly been a right-handed hitting complement to Alek Thomas or Geraldo Perdomo at center field or shortstop, respectively. Right-handed hitting is a priority for the D’Backs in general, and Piecoro suggests that J.D. Martinez might be a candidate for a return to Arizona, based off GM Mike Hazen’s recent comments about how the Diamondbacks could be open to a DH-centric player who swings from the right side. Arizona has already landed one notable right-handed bat this offseason in acquiring Eugenio Suarez from the Mariners.
- Sticking with the National League champs, the Diamondbacks named Shaun Larkin as their new director of player development earlier this week. Larkin has spent the last three seasons as the Dodgers‘ field coordinator as part of an eight-year tenure in L.A., and he previously had a long history as a minor league player, coach, and manager in Cleveland’s farm system. Larkin’s hiring is the latest move in a D’Backs offseason that has seen quite a bit of turnover in the front office and coaching ranks, though as Hazen told Piecoro, “we 100 percent expected it. This is what happens when you have a successful season….Bringing some outside perspectives into the organization in terms of what’s going on in scouting and player development around the game, I think is important.”
Angels, Padres, Marlins, White Sox Have Shown Interest In Martin Maldonado
TODAY: The Angels are also interested in Maldonado, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. The Halos already have Logan O’Hoppe, Max Stassi, and Matt Thaiss lined up behind the plate, though O’Hoppe and missed most of the year due to injury and Stassi didn’t play at all due to a hip strain and time off for a family situation. Conceivably, L.A. could look to trade from this catching surplus if they brought Maldonado into the fold. Maldonado previously played for the Angels in 2017-18, making him a known quantity to the organization.
DECEMBER 1: The Astros have interest in a reunion with catcher Martin Maldonado, but they’re not alone in showing interest. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported last month that four or five clubs had shown interest in the 37-year-old, and Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports today that in addition to the Astros, Maldonado has received some level of interest from the Padres, Marlins and White Sox.
All three clubs are in need of some catching help, to varying extents. The Padres received a breakout performance from former top prospect Luis Campusano in 2023, as the 25-year-old turned in a stout .319/.356/.491 batting line in 174 plate appearances. That showing likely puts him atop the team’s depth chart, particularly following the Friars’ decision to non-tender veteran backstop Austin Nola, who’d been their primary catcher since his acquisition in 2020. Maldonado would represent a backup option — one whose acumen in terms of game-calling and game-planning would be particularly beneficial in a mentorship role for a young catcher like Campusano.
The ChiSox have a young catcher of their own, one who’s quite familiar with Maldonado: former Astros first-round pick Korey Lee. Chicago acquired Lee from Houston in the deadline trade sending Kendall Graveman back to Houston. Lee’s initial stint with the Sox went poorly, as he hit just .077/.143/.138 — albeit in a tiny sample of 70 plate appearances. Lee hit .278/.325/.386 in 82 contests at the Triple-A level last year, and the Sox will hope for something closer to that level of output in the Majors this season.
The Sox are also hoping for continued development from prospect Edgar Quero, acquired from the Angels in the Lucas Giolito/Reynaldo Lopez trade. Quero is just 20 years old and not yet on the 40-man roster, but he hit .255/.380/.351 in 101 games against far older competition at the Double-A level last year. He could be up in the big leagues at some point in 2024 or 2025. And even if his big league debut doesn’t come next season, he’d surely be in spring training with the Sox, where Maldonado could take both Quero and Lee under his wing.
Things are far more open in Miami, where the only catcher on the 40-man roster is defensive standout Nick Fortes. The Marlins non-tendered Jacob Stallings in November, and newly installed president of baseball operations Peter Bendix has already made clear that he could add multiple catchers this offseason. A pairing of Fortes and Maldonado wouldn’t do much for the Marlins offensively; Fortes hit just .204/.263/.299 last year, but he also has minor league options remaining. If the Fish were to add both Maldonado and another more seasoned catcher with superior offensive capabilities, they could option Fortes and relegate him to No. 3 on the organization’s catching depth chart.
Of course, it remains eminently possible — if not likely — that Maldonado stays put in Houston. The Astros organization has routinely extolled the veteran backstop’s intangible value to the team’s pitching staff, even as his framing grades and throwing numbers have deteriorated. The ‘Stros love Maldonado’s work with their pitchers, his ability to help plan for games, and his actual game-calling skills. He still rates as an above-average catcher in terms of blocking pitches in the dirt, as well. Houston has already gone out of its way to anoint young Yainer Diaz as the primary catcher in 2024, but Maldonado could occupy a similar mentor role to the highly touted Diaz that he could offer any of his other suitors and their young catchers.
In parts of six seasons with Houston, Maldonado carries just a .191/.273/.350 batting line. That lack of offensive production makes a backup role seem likely wherever he eventually lands but also speaks to the extent to which the Astros have valued him. He’s received nearly 1600 plate appearances and twice re-signed in Houston despite that dearth of offensive output, which only underscores how much Houston loves his work with their staff.
White Sox Outright Nicholas Padilla; Adam Haseley Elects Free Agency
The White Sox passed right-hander Nicholas Padilla through waivers unclaimed and have assigned him outright to Triple-A Charlotte, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com. He adds that outfielder Adam Haseley, who was designated for assignment earlier this week, cleared waivers and elected free agency. Chicago’s 40-man roster is currently at 39 players.
Padilla, 26, pitched 4 2/3 innings with the Sox this past season and another 1 2/3 frames with the Cubs in 2022. That’s the full extent of his MLB experience, and during those 6 1/3 frames he allowed four runs on 11 hits and three walks with seven punchouts. Padilla posted a terrific 2.21 ERA in the minors in 2022 but did so with worrisome command issues that caught up to him in 2023, when he was tagged for a 5.52 ERA in 45 2/3 innings with Charlotte, walking 17.6% of his opponents along the way.
Padilla has missed bats at average or better levels in the upper minors, and he sits around 94 mph with a sinker that generates huge ground-ball rates (58% in Triple-A this past season). If he can improve his strike-throwing, he could find his way back to the 40-man roster, but he’ll have to earn his way back as a non-roster invitee in spring training this year. If he doesn’t make the club this spring, he’ll likely open the ’24 season with the Knights.
The 27-year-old Haseley was the No. 8 overall pick by the Phillies back in 2017 but hasn’t yet produced in line with those considerable draft expectations. He’s spent parts of five seasons in the Majors between Philly and Chicago but managed only a .259/.319/.356 batting line — with much of his production at the plate coming early in his career. He’s struggled considerably over the past three seasons.
This past season, Haseley spent the bulk of the season in Charlotte, hitting .264/.338/.386 for the Knights. He walked at a respectable 8.9% clip, showed solid bat-to-ball skills (16.6%) and swiped 10 bags in 14 tries. He has considerable experience at all three outfield spots and has posted average or better defensive grades at each in the majors. The lefty-swinging Haseley has struggled against same-handed opponents throughout his career but does carry a decent .262/.320/.371 slash against right-handers. He’ll likely latch on with a club looking for some speed and/or versatile outfield depth on a minor league deal.
White Sox Sign Wynton Bernard To Minor League Deal
The White Sox have signed outfielder Wynton Bernard to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Charlotte for now but may get an invitation to major league Spring Training.
Bernard, now 33, has a small amount of major league experience, having played 12 games for the Rockies in 2022. But he was outrighted at the end of that campaign and wasn’t able to get back to the majors in 2023.
He started the year with the Blue Jays on a minor league deal and played 60 games for their Triple-A club before getting released in June. He then signed another minor league deal, this one returning him to the Rockies organization, which led to 66 more Triple-A games. Between the two orgs, he slashed .302/.375/.443 in his 571 plate appearances. He only hit 11 home runs but his 9.8% walk rate and 18% strikeout rate were both strong. His combined 104 wRC+ for the year indicates he was a bit better than league average overall.
He stole 41 bases on the year, the third time in his career he had swiped that many bags in one season. He also lined up at all three outfield positions, which he has done all throughout his minor league career.
The Sox have Andrew Benintendi and Luis Robert Jr. in two outfield spots. The latter has been in some trade rumors but he’s a long shot to actually be moved. Right field is more questionable since Óscar Colás had a rough season in 2023. The club also sacrificed some depth pieces in recent weeks, with each of Tyler Naquin, Trayce Thompson, Clint Frazier and Adam Haseley having been cut from the roster since early October.
Bernard will give the club a bit of non-roster depth that can play anywhere on the grass with the potential to provide some speed on the basepaths. If he gets a roster spot at any point, he still has two options and just a few weeks of service time.
Cardinals Still Showing Interest In Dylan Cease
Even after revamping their rotation with a rapid-fire trio of free agent signings, the Cardinals are still in the mix for White Sox righty Dylan Cease, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak said at the press conference to introduce Sonny Gray that he “doubted” his next move would be to add more starting pitching but conceded that he remains “open-minded” to further rotation additions (link via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
The Cardinals, of course, signed Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn in just over a week’s time, adding a trio of arms who combined for 97 starts in 2023. The addition of Gray added a front-end presence to the St. Louis rotation, while Lynn and Gibson at the very least provided some reliable bulk innings on the back end. It seems clear that the Cards prioritized some stability after years of injury-related starting pitching crunches at Busch Stadium, and Cease would be a fourth addition in that vein.
In terms of pure results, the 27-year-old Cease (28 next month) has been on both ends of the spectrum recently. In 2022, he finished runner-up to Justin Verlander in AL Cy Young voting, while his 2023 campaign saw his ERA more than double from 2.20 to 4.58. Cease’s velocity dipped by a mile per hour, his strikeout rate fell three percentage points, and he yielded far more hard contact than he did during that elite 2022 campaign. What remained constant, however, was the righty’s availability. Cease made 33 starts this past season — his fourth straight year with a full slate of starts. Since 2020, Cease leads all MLB pitchers with 109 games started.
As things stand, the Cardinals project for a five-man rotation of Gray, Miles Mikolas, Lynn, Gibson and Steven Matz. Mikolas and Matz are both signed through 2025 — Mikolas at a total of $32MM and Matz at $24MM. There’s been some speculation about the possibility of an eventual Matz trade, but the Cardinals are also surely reluctant to thin out their depth too much after being burned by a lack of depth in multiple seasons recently.
Cease would give the Cardinals even more bulk innings but do so while carrying more upside than perhaps any member of their current staff. He’d surely benefit from a move out of the White Sox’ homer-happy stadium and away from their poorly ranked defense. With two years of club control remaining, a projected $8.8MM salary in arbitration (courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) and clear Cy Young-caliber upside on the mound, bidding for Cease’s services will be fierce.
Already this winter, he’s been connected to the Braves, Dodgers, Reds and Orioles. That’s surely just a fraction of the teams who’ve at least reached out to the ChiSox to gauge the asking price. The Cardinals’ recent free-agent activity might lessen their urgency relative to some of those other suitors, but it’s nevertheless of note that they remain in the mix at all.
From a payroll perspective, they can likely make a Cease acquisition work without even dramatically raising their spending from last year’s levels. The Cards backloaded Gray’s three-year, $75MM contract such that he’ll be paid just $10MM in 2024. Roster Resource projects a $180MM payroll right now, which is only narrowly higher than last year’s Opening Day mark. And the Cards could yet trade arbitration-eligible names like Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson, which would impact that payroll projection.
Someone like O’Neill — a free agent at season’s end — isn’t likely to hold much appeal to the White Sox, who’ll be looking for controllable talent to build around in the near future. But generally speaking, the Cardinals have a bevy of young, MLB-ready talent that could interest Chicago. Names like Carlson, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson, Luken Baker and Matthew Liberatore all have at least three seasons of club control remaining, and that’s not even counting some interesting upper-minors prospects who’ve yet to debut but are relatively close to the Majors (e.g. Gordon Graceffo, Tink Hence).
As for the timing of a potential Cease trade, reports on the matter are conflicting in nature; MLB.com’s Jon Morosi suggested just yesterday that Cease’s market was heating up and a trade could come together by Sunday evening. Not 18 hours later, Rosenthal reported nearly the opposite — that Sox GM Chris Getz has been indicating to teams he prefers to wait until after the top free-agent names have come off the board.
Latest On Dylan Cease
Nov. 30: The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal suggests a very different scenario regarding Cease, writing that Getz & Co. prefer to wait to move him until after the top starters on the market have signed. Clubs with current interest (e.g. Cincinnati, Baltimore), aren’t likely to play for the top names in free agency anyhow and will thus remain in play even if the Sox take their time trading Cease. And, by waiting until the top of the free agent market thins out, the Sox could potentially attract more bidders in the form of those who miss out on the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, etc.
Nov. 29: The White Sox have discussed Dylan Cease trades with teams since the offseason got underway. It seems they’ve gained some amount of traction, as Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets that talks have “intensified” this week. Morosi suggests the ChiSox may pull the trigger on a deal prior to the Winter Meetings, which begin Sunday evening.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale has linked the Dodgers and Braves to the hard-throwing righty in recent weeks. There are surely plenty of other teams that have been in touch with first-year general manager Chris Getz. Morosi calls the Braves one of the “finalists” for Cease’s services. That implies the Sox have narrowed down the field of suitors, although there’s no clarity as to how many clubs are still in the running.
Cease has been a popular trade target going back to the deadline. The Sox elected not to move him over the summer. A few weeks after the deadline, owner Jerry Reinsdorf dismissed front office leaders Rick Hahn and Ken Williams. He bumped Getz from assistant GM to the top role not long thereafter. Getz has rather bluntly discussed the lack of depth on the MLB roster. He has made clear there aren’t any players who are categorically off the table in trade discussions.
While Luis Robert Jr. probably has the most appeal of anyone on the team, Cease is the more likely of their high-value targets to change uniforms. The Sox have their franchise center fielder signed to a contract with club options running through the 2027 season. Cease is under team control for two years. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for an $8.8MM salary in his second-to-last season of arbitration eligibility.
Cease, who turns 28 next month, is coming off a relative down season. His ERA jumped from 2.20 during his Cy Young runner-up campaign in 2022 to 4.58 this year. Cease lost a couple points off his strikeout rate but still fanned a quality 27.3% of opposing hitters while taking the ball for a full slate of 33 starts.
Despite the relative down season, he remains the clear best pitcher on the roster. While Getz has expressed a willingness to make significant changes, he hasn’t characterized the situation as a rebuild. It stands to reason they’d look for major league and/or upper minors talent in a Cease trade. They took a volume approach to their first major trade of the offseason, acquiring five players (four of whom are MLB-ready depth types) from the Braves for reliever Aaron Bummer two weeks ago.
White Sox Designate Adam Haseley For Assignment
The White Sox announced Tuesday that they’ve designated outfielder Adam Haseley for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to infielder Paul DeJong, whose previously reported one-year deal has now been confirmed by the team. Chicago’s 40-man roster remains at capacity.
Haseley, 27, was the eighth overall selection in the 2017 draft by the Phillies but hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations associated with that draft stock. He’s appeared in parts of five big league seasons — the past two with Chicago after coming over in a 2022 trade sending McKinley Moore to the Phils — but compiled a tepid .259/.319/.356 batting line in 419 career plate appearances. The bulk of his offensive production came during his 2019-20 run with the Phils; he’s struggled at the plate in three seasons since.
Haseley spent the bulk of the 2023 season with the White Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte, where he posted a .264/.338/.386 batting line that checked in 17% worse than league average, by measure of wRC+. The speedy outfielder walked in 8.9% of his plate appearances, showed good bat-to-ball skills with a 16.6% strikeout rate and went 10-for-14 in stolen base attempts in his 72 games at that level.
While Haseley’s bat hasn’t been up to the MLB standard, he’s logged time at all three outfield positions in the big leagues and graded out as an above-average defender according to each of Defensive Runs Saved (11), Ultimate Zone Rating (3.6) and Outs Above Average (1). He’s had a particularly tough time against fellow lefties in his career (.243/.309/.297) but handled righties at a more passable .262/.320/.371 clip.
Because he’s out of minor league options, Haseley would’ve needed to crack the White Sox’ Opening Day roster or else eventually be designated for assignment, as he was today. Another club in search of a lefty bat with some speed and contact skills who can handle all three outfield spots could place a waiver claim or acquire him in a small trade, but Haseley’s lack of minor league options would put that new team in the same spot. Now that he’s been DFA, Haseley will either be traded, released or run through outright waivers within a week’s time. He cleared waivers this time a year ago and was assigned outright to Charlotte, and that prior outright assignment will give him the right to elect free agency if he goes unclaimed a second time.
White Sox Sign Paul DeJong
The White Sox announced Tuesday that they’ve signed free agent shortstop Paul DeJong to a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $1.75MM. (Chicago is one of the few MLB organizations that publicly discloses financial terms.) DeJong, a client of the C.L. Rocks Corporation, can reportedly earn another $250K via incentives.
Signing the 30-year-old DeJong is a clear buy-low move for the Sox, as he has struggled badly in recent seasons. He had an incredible debut with the Cardinals in 2017, hitting 25 home runs in his first 108 major league games. His 28% strikeout rate and 4.7% walk rate were not great, but his overall line of .285/.325/.532 translated to a wRC+ of 123.
The Cards made a bet that DeJong could be their shortstop for many years to come, signing him to a six-year, $26MM extension prior to 2018. Unfortunately for them, DeJong’s production slid downhill from the moment that deal was signed. His wRC+ dropped to 103 in 2018, then 101, 87, 84 and 54 through 2022.
In 2023, he seemed to get back on track somewhat. Through 81 games for the Cards, he hit 13 home runs and slashed .233/.297/.412 for a wRC+ of 94. Though he was still below the league average hitter, that kind of production for a strong defensive shortstop was still welcome, and an obvious boost from his previous nosedive.
However, the Cards flipped him to the Blue Jays prior to the deadline, which was the start of another frustrating run for him. The Jays had recently lost Bo Bichette to the injured list and tried to use DeJong to fill the gap, but the move to Toronto didn’t go well, to put it mildly. DeJong hit .068/.068/.068 in his 44 plate appearances, striking out in 40.9% of them without drawing a walk. Once Bichette was reinstated from the injured list, the Jays designated him for assignment and eventually released him. The Giants took a shot on him but he continued to struggle, hitting .184/.180/.286 for that club, striking out at a 32% clip and not drawing a walk for them either. He was released again near the end of September.
The White Sox just moved on from a different shortstop who also endured an awful season in 2023. Tim Anderson had been an above-average hitter from 2019 to 2022 but hit just one home run this past year while batting .245/.286/.296 overall. His wRC+ of 60 was the worst such number from any qualified hitter for the year. The Sox could have retained Anderson via a $14MM buyout and hoped for a bounceback but decided to move on, declining that option.
A couple of weeks ago, general manager Chris Getz said the club would be looking for a veteran with good defense to take over for Anderson, ideally on a short-term deal to bridge the gap to prospect Colson Montgomery. DeJong certainly fits the bill there, having racked up 41 Defensive Runs Saved, four Outs Above Average and earned a grade of 30.5 from Ultimate Zone Rating in his career. He has shown some offensive potential in the past but the recent results have been grisly.
Perhaps the club will only keep DeJong around until the job is wrested away from him, as Montgomery is considered one of the top prospects in the league. He’s currently listed #14 overall at Baseball America, #12 at FanGraphs and #17 at MLB Pipeline, while midseason updates saw him get the #21 spot from Keith Law of The Athletic and #2 from ESPN. Montgomery hit .287/.455/.484 in the minors this year, posting matching strikeout and walk rates of 19%. He finished the year at Double-A and then went to the Arizona Fall League for a bit more action.
Montgomery is still young, turning 22 in February, and has yet to reach Triple-A. But it’s possible he’s not too far away and DeJong may just be a placeholder. The Sox don’t have an obvious solution at second base either, so perhaps DeJong could move across the bag if he is in decent form, but it’s also possible the club could move on if the guarantee isn’t especially burdensome.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported the White Sox and DeJong were nearing a major league deal. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com first confirmed a deal was in place. Bob Nightengale of USA Today specified it was a one-year contract, and Heyman first reported the terms — which were subsequently publicly confirmed by the club.