Paul Dejong has impressed me this spring, especially on the defensive side of the ball
Third base was an obvious hole heading into the offseason, and has been a hole ever since Anthony Rendon left. With the Carter Kieboom experiment failing, and the stop gap veterans they brought in being ineffective, with the exception of Jeimer Candelario. However, I am optimistic about the pickup of Paul Dejong.
Yes, it is another bargain bin signing, with the 31 year old signing a one-year $1 million deal. However, I think this will be a better investment than the deal they signed Nick Senzel to last year. With Senzel now playing in Mexico, that is an admittedly low bar to clear.
The biggest reason for optimism with Dejong is his defensive prowess. He has been an above average defensive shortstop for most of his career and his transition to third was smooth last year. When he got traded to the Royals, he moved to third with Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop. He thrived at the hot corner, with six outs above average in his brief time in Kansas City.
Dejong has also looked great this spring on the defensive end. In my few days down in West Palm, Dejong has made a number of stellar plays, that no Nats third baseman since Rendon would be able to make. Dejong will help out this young pitching staff with his defense.
Offensively, Dejong is what he is. He is a flawed hitter, who doesn’t make a ton of contact and does not walk a lot. However, he has big time power. His 24 homers last year would have led the Nationals. If he isn’t bringing the power, he can be a black hole offensively, but he brought the boom last year.
At the end of the day, Dejong is just here to keep the seat warm for Brady House. The 21 year old House is the third baseman of the future, but needs more seasoning in Triple-A. House faced some bumps in the road at Rochester, with his lack of plate discipline being exposed a bit. However, he still has a ton of talent and should play a role at some point this season.
If Dejong isn’t hitting and House is, he can replace the veteran at some point this season. However, if Dejong is hitting, he could either be traded at the deadline if Mike Rizzo decides to sell, or could hold down the fort for the season, allowing House to get more seasoning. After all, House is only 21, so there is no need to rush him.
Paul Dejong is a low risk acquisition, who’s defense and power are things the Nationals desperately needed. He is just a place holder, but I think he can be an effective one.