Veteran shortstop Paul De Jong (30) wears the Chicago White Sox uniform.
Bob Nightingale of USA Today announced on the 22nd (Korean time) that De Jong has tentatively agreed to a major league contract with the White Sox club. Nothing is yet known about the terms of the contract, but local media predicts it will be a one-year contract.
De Jong, who debuted in 2017, has a batting average of 0.229, 116 home runs, and 344 RBIs in his career in the big league. Although he does not have high hitting accuracy, he has the ability to hit long shots. He also hit 30 home runs in 2019 while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. This season, he played for St. Louis, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the San Francisco Giants, recording a batting average of 0.207, 14 home runs, and 38 RBIs. He has a low OPS of 0.612, which includes on-base percentage (0.258) and slugging percentage (0.355).
It is expected that he will play a platoon role with the White Sox. By splitting playing time with starting shortstop Tim Anderson, he is gaining call-up time for prospect Colson Montgomery. Montgomery is a shortstop resource who was selected 22nd overall in the first round of the 2021 rookie draft. He appeared in 64 games from the Rookie League to Double A this season, hitting 0.287 (64 hits in 223 at-bats), 8 home runs, and 37 RBIs. He has a high-quality pitching plan, with a walk (56) and strikeout (56) ratio of 1 to 1.
For the White Sox, the generational change from Anderson to Montgomery is key, and De Jong's role is expected to be important.