Grading KC Royals aggressive moves on trade deadline day

Questions arise among KC Royals fans after Paul DeJong addition

KC Royals receive: INF Paul DeJong

Chicago White Sox receive: RHP Jarold Rosado

You could have given me 100 guesses as to which batter the Royals would acquire at the trade deadline, and Paul DeJong would not have crossed my mind. The 30-year-old infielder has bounced around MLB in recent years after making a name for himself with the St. Louis Cardinals but experienced a minor renaissance with the Chicago White Sox. That was enough for Kansas City to take a shot on him.

DeJong is a shortstop by nature but has played at other positions in his MLB career. With multiple appearances at third and second base, that was enough for the Royals to presumably upgrade from an Adam Frazier or Nick Loftin. DeJong also has serious pop in his bat, smacking 18 home runs in 102 games this year. He already has the third-most homers among all Royals batters without making a single plate appearance for the team.

The veteran is a rental player, so this isn't a long-term commitment from either side. He slots nicely into a bench role, giving Quatraro another pinch-hitting option against righties, whom DeJong is significantly better against. Plus, he brings recent postseason experience to the Kansas City clubhouse. He has 14 postseason appearances in his MLB career, coming as recently as the 2022 Wild Card round.

Rosado is a lottery ticket, albeit a productive one. the 22-year-old righty has 27 relief appearances made with the Low-A Columbia Fireflies this year. He posted a 1.85 ERA in those games, with a 1.05 WHIP and 45 strikeouts across 39 innings pitched.

I fail to grasp the logic behind this trade, but I believe it only slightly enhances the Royals bench. This is essentially a rental trade for a player who is years away from the majors. What's the worst-case scenario here?

Grade: C+

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