3 base is an obvious hole heading into the offseason and has been a hole ever since Anthony Rendon left. The Carter Keyboom experiment failed, and with the exception of Jamer Candelario, the veterans of the stopgap they brought about were ineffective. But I’m optimistic about Paul DeJohn’s pickup.
Yes, it’s a signature of another bargain bottle, 31 year old signature A million dollar deal over a year. But I think this would be a better investment than the deal I signed with Nick Senzel last year. It’s a clearly low bar as Senzel is currently playing in Mexico.
The main reason for his optimism with DeJohn is his defensiveness. He has been a defensive shortstop above average for most of his career, and his transition to third last year was smooth. When he was traded with the Royals, he moved to third place with Bobby Whitt Jr. in the short stop. He thrived in the hot corner 6 outs above average His brief time in Kansas City.
Dejong also looked great on the defensive side this spring. During his days at West Palm, DeJohn made many great plays. Since Rendon was able to make it, there have been no three bases of nuts. DeJong helps this young pitching staff with his defense.
Offensively, DeJong is what he is. He is a flawed batsman, hasn’t made much contact and hasn’t walked much. But he has a great power of time. His 24 Homer He would have led the people last year. If he doesn’t have the power, he can become a black hole offensively, but it caused a boom last year.
At the end of the day, DeJohn is here to keep his seat warm for Brady’s house. The 21-year-old home is the third baseman of the future, but it requires more seasonings with Triple A. The house faced several uplifts on the roads of Rochester, revealing a bit of a lack of discipline in his plate. But he still has a lot of talent and should play a role at some point this season.
If Dejong isn’t hit and there’s a home, he can replace the veteran at some point this season. But if Dejong is attacking, if Mike Rizzo decides to sell, he will either trade on the deadline or hold back the fort for the season and the House will get more seasonings. After all, the house is only 21 years old, so there’s no need to hurry him.
Paul DeJohn was a low-risk acquisition, and he was desperately needed by the public. He is just the owner of the place, but I think he can be effective.
