The New York Yankees and veteran infielder Paul DeJong have agreed to a minor league contract, with an invitation to take part in spring training. Should DeJong make the team, he will earn a $1M bonus.
The 32 year old made his Major League debut with St. Louis Cardinals, before having stops with the Blue Jays, Giants, White Sox, Royals, and Nationals along the way. After blasting 30 home runs for the Cardinals back in 2019, the 9 year vet has struggled with health and consistency at the plate since.
The 6′ right handed bat was struck in the face by a 93mph fastball in April of last season, and was forced to undergo facial reconstructive surgery on his nose and cheekbone. Ultimately, a plate had to be implanted underneath his eye to stabilize the area. As a result, he missed 2.5 months of the season and was limited to just 57 contests in 2025.
New York has an immediate need at shortstop to begin the year as Anthony Volpe will see his season debut delayed after undergoing shoulder surgery in October. DeJong figures to compete with Amed Rosario for reps at short, or could play a super utility role as well.
The Yankees also feature Jose Caballero and Oswaldo Cabrera as potential infield options, giving the team a bevy of choices to skim through this spring.
Photo: Jeffrey Hayes. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.