It's been a while since we've seen the Royals act like a contender, but given that they entered the morning of the trade deadline with a one-game lead in the third AL Wild Card spot, the behavior is justified. On Monday they added righty starter Michael Lorenzen to a deal with the Rangers, and on Tuesday afternoon traded deals for A's reliever Lucas Erceg and White Sox pitcher Paul DeJong. None of them are blockbusters, but they all strengthen Kansas City's roster, with DeJong stepping in to address a weak bench.
The Royals acquired the 30-year-old DeJong, who is making $1.75 million this year and has another $250,000 in bonuses he can reach for 400 and 500 plate appearances, in exchange for 21-year-old righty Jarold Rosado, free agent Royals' A-level Columbia. The trade took place about four hours before the Royals were set to play the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field, so DeJong joined his new club — for the fourth time since the start of the 2023 season — by going from one boat to another.
Paul DeJong went to another dugout pic.twitter.com/Olm4BoirNH
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) July 30, 2024
Drafted and developed by the Cardinals, DeJong was once considered a first baseman. Coming off a 25-homer season in 2017 in which he finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting, he signed a six-year, $26 million extension, a record at the time for a player under one year old. time of service. He hit 30 home runs and made the NL All-Star team in 2019, but in May '22, in the midst of his second consecutive season with a sub-200 batting average, the Cardinals optioned him to Triple-A Memphis for a renewal . his swing. His performance rebounded, though not to his 2017-19 level, so on August 1, 2023, he was traded to the Blue Jays. He went an inexplicable 3-for-44 against the Jays before being released three weeks later, then went 9-for-49 after being picked up by the Giants. This season, he hit .207/.258/.355 (66 wRC+).
Playing almost every day for a White Sox team that fell below the 1962 Mets' .250 winning percentage, DeJong was better this year, though his path to a 95 wRC+ was worse, as he hit .228/.275/.430. in a very aggressive manner. His 58.4% swing rate ranks fourth among all qualifiers, and his 18.5% swing rate is second; both are career highs, with the former eight points above his career average and the latter nearly five more. His 33% strikeout rate is the second-highest mark of his career, but what's more eye-catching is that he's at 40.9% – with higher swing and strikeout rates than cited – since being traded last year. It's like he's hacking to get revenge for being forced to commit to the Cardinal Way for so many years. His .245 on-base percentage in that span is the lowest, and could be read as a tribute to the Royals' shortstop. Sure, it's the trade deadline, but let's pause to Remember the Other Guys:
Royals Shortstops With Low On-Base Percentage
Minimum 500 plate appearances since 1969 and most games played with the Royals at shortstop.
DeJong is in this group of criminals because he only walked 3.9% of his plate appearances while striking out 30.9%; only Ezequiel Tovar and Ceddanne Rafaela have lower walk rates. On contact, his average exit velocity of 88 mph hits just 28 percent, but his 9.6% barrel rate is 65th, and his 41.1% hard-hit rate is 62nd. He leads the White Sox with 18 home runs, but he goes from good ballpark to good power to none; in terms of park home run factories for righties, Guaranteed Rate Field is 107th, Kauffman Stadium is 94th.
Now, while DeJong has played 89 games at shortstop this year, he will never replace Bobby Witt Jr. there. He has some experience at both third base (11 games this season) and second base (22 games, none this year), and could blow the less-productive Nick Loftin, Adam Frazier, or Garrett Hampson into the lineup, though the Royals have a second. made room by designating forward John McMillon for assignment. All three of those non-Witt infielders hit 76 wRC+ or less; Loftin is the only minor league option left. The most logical fit for DeJong would be as the shortstop on a team with lefty Michael Massey at second base, but DeJong managed a 68 wRC+ in 202 PA against lefties since the start of last season, compared to an 84 wC+ in 561 PA against righties. In that light, starting at third base in place of righty-swinging Maikel Garcia (who has just a 72 wRC+ against righties) makes more sense.
If DeJong improves the Royals, he's decent. To get him, the team dropped lottery ticket value on Rosado, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound righty the Royals signed out of the Dominican Republic in July 2022. Here's what Eric Longenhagen had to say about him in notes provided to me Tuesday:
Rosado sits at 94-97 mph with his fastball and has a plus-projected, 2,700-rpm curveball and a rarely used changeup. It has a very high release point, about seven meters of extension, and it climbs steeply, especially in the bend. As an athlete, Rosado is very injury prone and tough, so even though he has thrown strikes so far, he has only been in a utility role for the last two years and is likely to stay there. He is Rule 5 eligible this offseason, but has only pitched in Low-A, so he may be left on the 40-man roster, undrafted this year, and have a chance to earn a 40-man spot after next season. . He is an average utility pitcher for the 2026 debut.
As for the White Sox, they traded Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham on Monday, then dealt outfielder Eloy Jiménez to the Orioles and lefty Tanner Banks on Tuesday.
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