Report: White Sox nearing deal with former All-Star shortstop

Chris Getz continues to make moves in his opening act as Chicago White Sox general manager.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Tuesday that the White Sox are nearing a deal with veteran shortstop Paul DeJong. The 30-year-old DeJong is getting an MLB deal from the team.

The news comes a few weeks after Chicago decided to part ways with longtime shortstop Tim Anderson. A two-time All-Star and former AL batting champion, Anderson was the White Sox shortstop since 2016 but had a career-worst 2023 season, hitting .245 with a putrid .582 OPS. That would lead to Chicago declining Anderson’s 2024 $14 million team option.

DeJong is an experienced former All-Star himself (earning a Midsummer Classic nod with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2019). But you could argue that DeJong is even worse than Anderson. He hit .207 with 121 strikeouts in 372 combined at-bats with St. Louis, Toronto, and San Francisco in 2023. DeJong was so bad that when the Blue Jays traded for him as a short-term injury replacement for Bo Bichette, he was waived less than 20 days later.

However, DeJong will likely be much cheaper than the $14 million the White Sox would have spent on Anderson. Meanwhile, Getz, whose hire was widely criticized, remains busy during his first offseason.