Chicago White Sox Trade Veteran Shortstop Paul DeJong to Kansas City Royals

Veteran infielder Paul DeJong has gone from the Chicago White Sox to the Kansas City Royals in the middle of a series between the two AL Central foes.

Jul 26, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox shortstop Paul DeJong (29) hits a double against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago White Sox have agreed to trade veteran infielder Paul DeJong to the Kansas City Royals, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand and others reported Tuesday afternoon.

The trade occurred roughly four hours before game two of the White Sox's ongoing series against the Royals. When the two AL Central rivals faced off Monday, DeJong started at third base and went 1-for-3 at the plate.

DeJong will now have to clear out his locker at Guaranteed Rate Field and make the short trip over to the visitor's dugout.

The Chicago Sun-Times' Daryl Van Schouwen was first to report that the Royals were sending minor league reliever Jarold Rosado to the White Sox to complete the deal.

Paul DeJong has walked over to the other dugout pic.twitter.com/Olm4BoirNH

— James Fegan (@JRFegan) July 30, 2024

DeJong was batting .228 with 18 home runs, 41 RBI, a .706 OPS and a 0.2 WAR this season, appearing in 102 of the White Sox's 109 games. He led Chicago in home runs and total bases in 2024 while ranking second in hits, second in RBI and third in OPS.

The White Sox signed DeJong to a one-year, $1.75 million contract last November. He split 2023 between the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants, coming off six full seasons with the Cardinals.

DeJong was named an All-Star back in 2019, two years after he finished runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year.

The soon-to-be 31-year-old has logged the vast majority of his defensive innings at shortstop over the past eight seasons, but he does have some experience at second and third. Unless the Royals acquired him purely to serve as an emergency injury replacement for All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., DeJong will likely get most of his time in Kansas City as a backup second and third baseman.

Rosado did not rank among inside the Royals' top 30 prospects prior to the trade. The 22-year-old reliever is currently 0-1 with a 1.85 ERA, 1.051 WHIP, 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings and four saves through 27 appearances with Single-A Columbia.

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