According to The New York Post‘s Jon Heyman, free agent shortstop Paul DeJong has signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees. The former Washington National is also an invitee to the Yankees’ Major League camp, and if he makes the team, he will earn $1 million.
Paul DeJong agrees to deal with Yankees. Minors deal, MLB camp invite.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 4, 2026
DeJong, a longtime St. Louis Cardinal who has bounced around on several different teams over the past few years, slashed .228/.269/.373 over 57 games with Washington last season. The Yankees, who will be without starting shortstop Anthony Volpe for at least the first month of next season, could be picking up DeJong as insurance for Volpe’s presumable fill-in, Jose Caballero. New York traded for Caballero from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline last year, with the 29-year-old appearing in 40 games in pinstripes.
Bounced Around
DeJong, 32, has been a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Nationals, and Cardinals, all since 2023. Over those 3 seasons (308 games), he has a .200 batting average, a .658 OPS, and just 84 extra-base hits. His defensive stats have fallen off a bit as well since DeJong departed St. Louis.
On the Yankees, DeJong might hope to earn back the (interim) starting shortstop job. Caballero did perform well with the Yankees last season, but his track record suggests some regression on the offensive side of the ball. If DeJong can perform well in camp and subsequently Spring Training, he could have a shot to make New York’s roster, or even take over for Caballero at short during Volpe’s absence.
Third Stringers
Adding a veteran righty who can play 3 positions in the infield could just be their way of bolstering their bench. The Yankees have not been very busy this offseason, with the vast majority of their transactions concerning minor leaguers. If this doesn’t change soon, the Yankees might find themselves in a hole they can’t quite dig themselves out of in the spring.
Main Photo Credit: Jeff Curry- USA Today Sports