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GLENDALE, AZ – The Chicago White Sox have a new shortstop for 2024 in veteran Paul DeJong. They may have another one soon among prospects Colson Montgomery, Braden Shewmake and Jacob Gonzalez.
DeJong, 30, signed as a free agent in November for $1.75 million and can earn another $250,000 in performance bonuses. Chances are that if he plays well, he will be peddled off to a contender at the trading deadline by the rebuilding White Sox.
Chicago already beefed up its’ farm system last week by trading ace pitcher Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres for three prospects — pitchers Drew Thorpe, 23, and Jairo Iriarte, 22, outfielder Samuel Zavala, 19 — and third-year MLB reliever Steven Wilson.
Shewmake’s bid to make the opening-day roster as a reserve is over. He sprained his left ankle Saturday and will be out for perhaps a month. He gained attention by playing savvy defense, but hit only .219, 7-for-26.
The trio of prospects will be analyzed thoroughly in the minors to determine who will be given first crack at the job in Chicago. Montgomery, ranked No. 1 in the team’s farm system by MLB Pipeline, seems to have the inside track. Shewmake, acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Braves, may possibly move to second base to make way for Montgomery or Gonzalez, No. 7 on the organization’s prospect list.
All three are lefty hitters with strong, athletic bodies that forecast at least mid-range power at the plate and enough agility and arm strength to play short.
Montgomery signed for $3,027,000 as the 22nd overall draft pick in 2021. He had a baseball scholarship to Indiana, where he also may have played basketball.
Often compared to Texas Rangers star Corey Seager because of his ability to make contact with power, Montgomery’s development has been slowed by injuries. An oblique strain and strained back limited him to 64 games in the minors in 2023. He hit .287 with 8 homers, 14 doubles and scored 51 runs.
Most impressive was his plate discipline. An equal number of 56 walks and strikeouts helped him to a fine .456 on-base percentage. “Sometimes pitchers give in to you, so why not take it?” he said. “They’re not going to throw everything for a strike. And if you look for your pitch, then you can drive that.”
Montgomery played 20 more games in the Arizona Fall League and totaled 20 RBI with 3 homers and 2 triples. The 22-year-old runs the bases well, though is not a threat to steal. He has a quick first step in the field, good agility and an arm strong enough to handle third base should he continue adding muscle and outgrow shortstop.
The 6-3, 225-pounder went 2-for-17 with seven strikeouts in spring play and was sent to the minor-league camp on March 7.
Shewmake, 26, signed with Atlanta for $3,129,800 out of Texas A&M, where he had a .323 career average. The 21st choice in 2019 has hit .250 in 346 games in the minors.
Gonzalez, 21, helped Mississippi win the 2022 College World Series and batted .319 with 40 homers and 158 RBI in 188 career games for the Rebels. He signed for $3.9 million as the No. 15 overall pick last July. The White Sox believe he has 25+ homer potential.
Some scouts say the 6-2, 200-pounder is already growing out of shortstop and should be moved to third or first. The White Sox contend he has the agility to stay at short. They have altered his batting stance a bit to a more upright starting point, hoping it leads to maintaining power in his quick stroke.
Bargain-Basement Bounty?
Three international signings show promise at shortstop, too. Javier Mogollon, 18, a 5-foot-8 bundle of energy signed for $75,000 out of the Dominican Republic, leads the way. Ryan Burrows, 19, a slender 6-2 Panamanian also signed for $75,000 and 22-year-old Dominican Jose Rodriguez, signed for $50,000, show promise.
Rodriguez accumulated 21 homers and 31 steals in the minors in 2023, but his strikeouts soared from 66 to 108 and walks dropped from 38 to 20 in just 10 more plate appearances. He seemed to become disinterested in doing anything except hitting a homer and that included a drop in defense at both second and short. This will be a key season to see if he can put his athleticism to more constructive use.
Burrowes is quick on the bases and in the field. He has wiry strength at the plate and good bat speed, too. He’s wildly inconsistent in all areas, however. Those in the organization maintain that the youngster’s intellect and natural leadership skills should help him figure it all out.
Mogollon turned heads by turning around fastballs to the tune of a .315 average with 10 doubles, 10 homers and 42 RBI in 47 games in the 2023 Dominican Summer League. He showed discipline at the plate, good baserunning, and errorless play in 15 games at short after eight errors in 28 games at second. Scouts insist his ordinary arm is better suited for second, however.
While every team these days covets hard-hitting infielders, the next shortstop on Chicago’s South Side is going to need good glovework, too, in support of a nice crop of developing pitchers. A shortstop’s primary duty is solidifying the infield, something that was lacking the past few years with the departed Tim Anderson.
