The New York Yankees reportedly agreed to a minor league deal with veteran infielder Paul DeJong.
The New York Yankees are clearly leaving their options open in the infield, especially at shortstop and second base. There has been plenty of speculation surrounding both Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm’s future in New York, and the Yankees made a move on Sunday to bolster the depth up the middle of the infield.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Yankees are signing Paul DeJong to a minor league deal for the 2026 season. The deal also includes an invitation to MLB camp during spring training. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand included that if DeJong does make the big-league roster throughout the year, he’ll make $1 million.
DeJong’s reported signing certainly isn’t the blockbuster move that many Yankees fans were hoping for, nor does it make New York an automatic World Series contender. Still, this is a solid depth move by the organization to give themselves more options in the infield throughout the season.
The 32-year-old definitely isn’t an offensive upgrade over Volpe or Chisholm. In 192 at-bats with the Washington Nationals in 2025, he logged a .228/.269/.373 slash line with 16 extra base hits.
On the other hand, he does offer the team defensive versatility and even the potential to upgrade the middle infield.
Last season, DeJong played 33 games at third base, 13 games at second base, 10 games at shortstop, and one game at first base. He graded out as a slightly below-average defender with an outs above-average of negative one.
However, in 2024, when DeJong played, he spent most of his time in the field at third base and shortstop, and he had an outs above average of 4, which ranked in the 84th percentile compared to the rest of MLB.
Aug 9, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Washington Nationals second baseman Paul DeJong (14) throws the ball to first to record an out against the San Francisco Giants in the fifth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn ImagesYes, signing DeJong is a low-risk move to strengthen New York’s infield core, but it certainly can’t be the last move the Yankees make this offseason. Obviously, it won’t take the Yankees out of being a potential destination for top-tier free agent Bo Bichette.
It’ll be interesting to see what the rest of Brian Cashman’s moves are from now on until spring training.