Detroit Tigers Sign All-Star Infielder
The Tigers signed DeJong to a minor league contract, assigning him to Triple-A Toledo with a prorated $1 million salary if he reaches the big leagues, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
DeJong's stint in Scranton was productive.
Paul DeJong to Tigers. Minors deal.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 5, 2026
He slashed .203/.361/.516 with six home runs and a 16-to-18 walk-to-strikeout ratio across 83 plate appearances, a 127 wRC+ that showed he was hitting the ball hard and drawing walks even while the batting average remained suppressed by his lifetime contact tendencies.
The Yankees brought him in as depth while Anthony Volpe recovered from shoulder surgery, but with Volpe nearing a return and Jose Caballero, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Max Schuemann all standing between DeJong and the 40-man roster, the promotion he was waiting for was not coming.
He triggered the opt-out and Detroit emerged as the landing spot within days.
Why Detroit Makes Sense Right Now
The Tigers enter Tuesday at 18-18 and dealing with an infield injury pile that has left manager AJ Hinch with limited depth options.
Javier Baez is on the injured list with an ankle injury. Zach McKinstry was just activated after missing two weeks with hip and abdominal inflammation. Gleyber Torres is day-to-day with left side tightness. Trey Sweeney is on the 60-day injured list.
That leaves rookie Kevin McGonigle as the everyday infield anchor, with journeyman Zack Short and rookie Hao-Yu Lee filling the remaining bench spots.
Heyman: Paul DeJong to sign a minor-league deal with the Tigers.
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) May 5, 2026
Short is a lifetime .171/.269/.295 hitter in nearly 600 big league plate appearances.
Lee has struggled in sporadic at-bats.
Neither represents the kind of right-handed bench bat with legitimate power that DeJong has provided at his best throughout his nine-year career.
DeJong, 32, has hit 146 home runs in 3,500 big league plate appearances across stops in St. Louis, Toronto, Chicago, Kansas City, and Washington, and brings the ability to play shortstop, third base, second base, and first base at an average or better defensive level.
He was an All-Star in 2019 with the Cardinals and has never stopped providing above-average pop even as his contact rate declined and his organizations changed.
The Tigers are not expecting DeJong to fix anything.
But in a pennant race environment where the AL Central is competitive and depth matters across a long summer, a player who hit six home runs with a 127 wRC+ in 83 Triple-A plate appearances pays dividends if the injury situation does not improve.
Photo Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
