Paul DeJong Signs Minor-League Deal with Detroit Tigers After Opt-Out from Yankees

Paul DeJong, a 32-year-old infielder and 2019 All-Star, signed a minor-league contract with the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday. After opting out of a similar deal with the New York Yankees, DeJong will report to Triple-A Toledo, with a potential major-league call-up.

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DeJong joined the Yankees on a minor-league deal in January but never made the 26-man roster. After a month in Triple-A, he exercised his opt-out clause; the Yankees declined to promote him, making him a free agent before signing with Detroit.

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Injuries have sidelined Detroit infield regulars Javier Báez, Zach McKinstry, Trey Sweeney and Gleyber Torres. The bench offers limited offense, so the club added a veteran who can play shortstop, second, third and first base, directly addressing the gap.

Yankees release helps Tigers sign former division rival to address alarming infield depth

At Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, DeJong posted a .203/.361/.516 line with six homers and 13 RBIs in 64 at-bats. Another source logged a .228/.269/.373 slash, 127 wRC+ and a 19% walk rate, indicating power despite a .200 average.

Tigers sign veteran who just ditched Yankees

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said keeping shortstop Anthony Volpe in Triple-A “doesn’t change how we feel about Anthony” and that the club “wants him to have the best chance to be successful.” He also cited Jose Caballero’s play as a factor. Detroit confirmed DeJong’s Triple-A Toledo assignment without further comment.

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Yankees fans on X called the move a “massive L for New York” and said the club “dropped the ball.” A Tigers fan noted the signing “adds a former All-Star on a minor-league deal” and could shorten Zack Short’s tenure.

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Sources differ on DeJong’s promotion timeline. *Heavy.com* suggests he “will likely be on the big league roster soon,” while *MotorCityBengals* describes the signing as a “footnote” that may stay at Triple-A unless injuries continue. Detroit has not provided an official schedule for a potential 40-man roster addition.

Sports Illustrated

Detroit will evaluate DeJong’s performance in Triple-A Toledo over the next weeks and could promote him if infield injuries persist or his offensive output improves.

Sports Illustrated

• “Yankees dropped the ball, plain and simple. Imagine letting this monster go and thinking you’d be fine. He’s out there proving them wrong every single night. Massive L for New York,” — Yankees fan, X

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• “Well I guess that whole Zack Short back in Detroit thing isn’t going to last very long,” — Tigers fan, X

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• “We want him to have the best chance to be successful, and we have to acknowledge, first how well (Jose Caballero) has played,” — Aaron Boone, Yankees manager

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• “Paul DeJong to Tigers. Minors deal,” — Jon Heyman, MLB insider

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