Familiar veteran infielder could provide Cubs with infield depth and insurance

Next year the Chicago Cubs infield could feature top prospect Matt Shaw at the hot corner, barring additional moves. If that is indeed the case, there will be a need for depth and insurance behind the highly-touted rookie - and that could come via trade or free agency. One of the less exciting but somewhat intriguing options out there is veteran free agent Paul DeJong.

DeJong, 31, has bounced around the league the past few years after being a regular foe on the St. Louis Cardinals. Last season he signed a one-year deal with the Chicago White Sox and then was dealt to the Kansas City Royals mid-season. Between the South Side and Kansas City he slashed .227/.276/.427 with 24 home runs, a .703 OPS and a 95 wRC+ in 139 games. While primarily a shortstop, he played 328 1/3 innings at third last year and posted a respectable +1 DRS (defensive runs saved), 5 OAA (outs above average) and 4.2 UZR (ultimate zone rating).

He is a career .229/.295/.419 hitter with 140 home runs and 93 wRC+ hitter in 868 MLB games. He is not a high-average guy or an on-base machine, but he has solid pop. He's hit 20+ home runs in a season three times, including a 30-homer campaign in 2019. This is where the intrigue comes in as the Cubs need not only insurance on the infield but more power at third. Outside of Christopher Morel and the little time Patrick Wisdom played there, the hot corner got no power production last year from the likes of Isaac Paredes, Nick Madrigal or Miles Mastrobuoni, and that is an important power position in baseball.

It is worth noting that DeJong has hit more home runs at Wrigley Field (16) than any other ballpark that isn't Busch Stadium, which was his home ballpark for six years. It seemed like he was good for at least one back-breaking home run at Wrigley every season when he was a Cardinal.

Is DeJong the most eye-catching candidate out there for this role? No. This is probably not the type of move fans want to see on the heels of the Kyle Tucker blockbuster, but it's important to look at this type of player when rounding out a roster. There's no doubt there are bigger options out there that can provide more value, such as an Alec Bohm trade, but this would be a very low-cost move that could help provide some solid production and depth. If last year's efforts at third were an indication of how he can play there, (the sample size is not huge) then you'd be getting a solid glove at third when needed, as well.

For what it's worth, DeJong's 2024 fWAR (1.7) would have been far and away the best of any person who manned third for the Cubs last season.