MLB trade deadline: Red Sox could find short-term help in White Sox shortstop
MLB trade deadline: Red Sox could find short-term help in White Sox shortstop
The Boston Red Sox have been playing the best baseball of their season in recent weeks, and it's just in time for the push toward the MLB trade deadline, where the team could end up being buyers if they continue to perform they have over their last 10 games (going 8-2).
If Boston is going to add, one position that could be addressed this summer is shortstop with Trevor Story out for the year and rookie Ceddanne Rafaela providing way more value in center field.
This means the Red Sox could look for a veteran on a short-term deal to help fill the role through the end of the season and Chicago White Sox shortstop Paul Dejong could be just the guy to do that for them.
DeJong, 30, was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2015 MLB draft. He made his debut with the team in 2017 and spent more than six years with them before being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023. After struggling with Toronto, he was released and signed with the San Francisco Giants but couldn't catch on there either.
The White Sox signed DeJong to a one-year, $1.75 million deal this season (via. Spotrac), and he's hit .236 with a .751 OPS, 14 home runs, 29 RBIs and two stolen bases in 70 games.
He'd probably be most helpful in the field for Boston, who have had their own issues with David Hamilton playing shortstop and committing five errors in 41 games at the position. DeJong hasn't had his best year defensively (seven errors in 68 games), but this is the most he's made at shortstop since 2021 and he'd only made eight or more in three seasons (2017, 2018 and 2021).
DeJong also wouldn't cost a whole lot. The Red Sox could probably throw a couple of mid-level prospects at the White Sox and get it done.
However, it'd also be understandable if they wanted to just work through things with Hamilton and have one of Enmanuel Valdez and Vaughn Grissom play second base when the latter eventually returns from injury.