White Sox Rumors: Team pursuing Paul DeJong for shortstop vacancy

The Chicago White Sox have a need at the shortstop position after the team declined the $14MM club option on Tim Anderson’s contract for the 2024 season.

The White Sox are not expected to bring back Anderson on a different deal as the team appears to be headed toward a rebuild after a 100-loss season in 2023.

In the long term, the White Sox’s answer at the shortstop position will likely be Colson Montgomery. A back injury slowed the start of Montgomery’s 2023 season but the White Sox’s top prospect has been back on the ascent and had a terrific Arizona Fall League Season.

On Monday night, Montgomery was named MVP of Arizona Fall League’s Fall Star game after going 2-for-2 with a home run.

The Chicago White Sox may be looking toward a former St. Louis Cardinal shortstop to fill their need at the position after the team declined Tim Anderson’s option.

Montgomery is not expected to be at the Major League level with the White Sox when the 2024 season starts but there is an expectation that he could take over the shortstop position for the team by season’s end.

Rather than commit to a different prospect at the shortstop position to begin next season, it would seem that the White Sox will be interested in bringing in a veteran. The team has already been linked to Whit Merrifield and another veteran infielder is on the team’s radar.

Jim Margalus of Sox Machine reports that the White Sox are interested in shortstop Paul DeJong.

In his first three seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, DeJong was emerging as one of the top power-hitting shortstops in all of Major League Baseball but his offense has regressed significantly since the 2020 season.

DeJong spent parts of the 2023 season with three different teams and slashed .207/.258/.355 with a wRC+ of 66. At this point in his career, DeJong is a glove-first shortstop but not to the extent that a team should force him into the everyday lineup.