West Palm Beach, FL - According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Washington Nationals have signed infielder Paul DeJong to a one-year, $1 million contract.

DeJong, a former Rookie of the Year finalist (2017) and All-Star (2019) with the St. Louis Cardinals, has bounced between five organizations over the past two seasons. Last year with the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals, he hit 24 home runs with a .703 OPS but struggled with strikeouts, posting a .227 batting average, .276 on-base percentage, 156 strikeouts, and just 23 walks in 482 plate appearances. The move is contingent on DeJong passing a physical and the Nationals clearing a spot on their 40-man roster.

While DeJong has extensive experience at shortstop (784 games with a .979 fielding percentage over the past eight years), he also has experience at third base (41 games, .970 fielding percentage, three errors).

This signing adds depth at third base, a position Nationals manager Dave Martinez recently indicated would be primarily occupied by Jose Tena. Just last week, Martinez stated, "[Jose Tena] gonna play third base. I know we signed Ahmed Rosario. He'll play some third as well. I love his bat against left-handed pitching. We want to allow [Tena] to play, play third. I know he worked all winter long over there and took ground balls over there, you know, we're gonna keep an eye on him and work with him and get him better.”

The Nationals' acquisition of Paul DeJong provides them with significant flexibility. He adds to their options at third base and even offers backup potential at shortstop. The low-risk, one-year, $1 million contract makes the signing a minimal investment for the team. A strong first half from DeJong could make him a valuable trade chip at the deadline, potentially netting the Nationals additional prospects.