A former New York Yankees infielder has signed a deal with the Detroit Tigers.
After signing a minor-league deal with the Yankees and not making the Opening Day roster, Paul DeJong decided not to opt out and head to Triple-A. However, after a month in the minors, he triggered his opt-out clause, and the Yankees opted not to call him up, leading to the former All-Star being a free agent.
Now, after being on the open market, MLB insider Jon Heyman revealed on X that DeJong has signed a minor-league deal with the Tigers.
“Paul DeJong to Tigers. Minors deal,” Heyman wrote on X.
DeJong wasn’t able to get an MLB deal and instead had to accept a minor-league deal with the Tigers. Yet, the former All-Star is hopeful that he can reach the majors soon with Detroit and help the Tigers compete for the AL Central title.
DeJong was an All-Star in 2019, and he spent the 2025 season with the Washington Nationals. He hit .228 with 6 home runs and 23 RBIs. DeJong has appeared in 925 games in his 9-year career, hitting .229 with 146 RBIs and 423 RBIs.
Yankees Fans React to DeJong Signing With Tigers
New York added some infield depth with DeJong, but the Yankees were never able to find room for him.
So, DeJong returned to free agency, and after he signed with the Tigers, some Yankees fans were disappointed that he couldn’t find a spot on the 26-man roster.
“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,” a fan wrote on X.
“Shocking he’s not a met,” a fan added.
“man left the Yankees to leave to minors just to sign an agreement to play in the minors!,” a fan wrote.
Tigers fans, meanwhile, believe DeJong adds some more depth and injury insurance to the infield.
“Well I guess that whole Zack Short back in Detroit thing isn’t going to last very long,” a fan added.
“Tigers add a former all star on a minor league deal. Nobody movin like Scott Harris,” a fan wrote.
“Get him in the lineup right away tbh. Don’t even care anymore,” a fan added.
DeJong can play shortstop, second base, and third base, giving the Tigers some infield depth off the bench if they do call him up.
New York Explains Anthony Volpe Decision
After DeJong opted out, the Yankees optioned Anthony Volpe to Triple-A.
Although Volpe was the team’s starting shortstop, he was optioned down, but Yankees manager Aaron Boone still believes in him.
“We want him to have the best chance to be successful, and we have to acknowledge, first how well (Jose Caballero) has played,” Boone said on Monday. “He’s been a key factor in us getting off to a really good start this year on both sides of the ball, on the basepaths. So, it’s really as simple as that. It doesn’t change how we feel about Anthony or the kind of player we think he is and will be. But in this moment of time, we felt like this was absolutely the right thing to do, and a lot of that has to do with….
“We have a lot of really good players right now competing for real roles and real spots. I think that competition ultimately is going to be a great thing for us. So right now, I think this is the right choice for us, I think it’s the right thing to do even for Anthony, and hopefully this gives him even more time to accumulate those everyday reps, and we’ll keep evaluating.”
Jose Caballero will continue to be the team’s starting shortstop.
Former Yankees All-Star Infielder Signs With Tigers