Grading The Paul DeJong Trade As The Season Wraps Up

When the White Sox signed Paul DeJong in the offseason, most fans weren't impressed, as DeJong had struggled the last few years. In 2023, he spent time on three different teams, as he was traded and DFA'd. However, Chris Getz wanted to shore up the middle infield defense, and DeJong had a reputation of being a good fielder.

Unfortunately, DeJong had one of his worst defensive seasons, but he made it up with the bat, as he found his power once again and he hit 18 homeruns in a White Sox uniform, which led the team. Overall for the White Sox, he slashed .228/.275/.430. While that isn't an overly impressive stat line, the homeruns were a selling point, along with the 41 RBIs.

The White Sox also started him at 3B in July to try and show teams that he could play third base, and he was better defensively there than at SS. This convinced the Kansas City Royals to trade for him, as on deadline day, they sent over minor league pitcher Jarold Rosado in exchange for DeJong.

Since the trade, DeJong hasn't been overly impressive in a limited role for the Kansas City Royals. However, they are going to the playoffs and DeJong will likely see some time in a playoff series, especially as a pinch hitter or a defensive replacement.

Since joining the Royals, DeJong has slashed .222/.277/.414. On top of that, he has added six homeruns and 15 RBIs. He has hit homeruns at the same pace as he did in Chicago, however, he has walked slightly more in Kansas City and he has struck out a higher clip as well. All in all, he's mainly been the same player in Kansas City as he was in Chicago. That is not too surprising.

Now in return, the White Sox acquired minor league pitcher Jarold Rosado. At the time of the trade, Rosado had 1.85 ERA in 27 games as 22 year old in A ball. He had 45 strikeouts in 39 innings, had a 1.05 WHIP, and held batters to a .219 batting average against. For Paul DeJong, that seemed like a solid return.

Since joining the White Sox, they promoted him to A+ ball, where he would remain a reliever. For the Winston-Salem Dash, he has pitched in 10 games(16.1 innings), striking out 23 batters. His WHIP has improved, as it is an impressive .980, while hitters are only hitting .203 off of him. The only thing that has elevated is the ERA as it is 2.76. However, every other stat has improved, which is impressive as he is pitching at a higher level in the minors since the trade.

Since he played very well in his first stint at A+ ball, there is a chance we see Rosado with a promotion to AA Birmingham to open up the year.

This was a solid trade for the White Sox, as they were able to get an intriguing prospect for Paul DeJong, who won't be on the team next year. I would grade this as an A-, as it is one of Getz's more underrated trades.