Paul Dejong is in the Yankees’ minor league system and could opt out of his deal if the club does not promote him soon. The veteran infielder has told the Yankees he may leave at the end of the month if he does not receive a big league opportunity. The situation adds a new layer of pressure around a roster that is already holding a strong position early in the season.
Paul Dejong’s place in the system
Paul Dejong is currently with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, where he has spent the season trying to force his way back into the majors. In 20 games, he is batting. 193 with five home runs, 11 RBI and seven runs. In 22 Triple-A games this season, he is listed at. 213/. 359/. 541 with six home runs, showing more power than average.
The key issue is not whether Paul Dejong has production in the minors, but whether the Yankees see enough urgency to move him up. The team already has infield depth, and that makes the next move less certain. Still, the club would have reason to weigh the risk of losing a veteran with his track record.
Paul Dejong and the opt-out deadline
Paul Dejong signed a minor league contract with New York this past offseason and did not make the team out of spring training. The decision to remain with the organization kept his path open, but it also placed him in a waiting game that now appears close to a breaking point.
Joel Sherman of The New York Post said on March 18 that a source indicated Paul Dejong did not plan to opt out of his minor league deal with the Yankees the following day, choosing instead to try to make the team and begin the season at Triple-A. That stance now appears tied to a shorter-term deadline, with the end of the month looming if no promotion comes.
What Paul Dejong brings to the conversation
Paul Dejong was selected in the fourth round of the 2015 MLB Draft and made the All-Star Game in 2019 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Over nine MLB seasons, he has also had brief stints with the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals, Washington Nationals and Chicago White Sox.
His career numbers show a player with major league experience and power: a. 229 batting average, 146 home runs and 423 RBI in 925 games. That record is part of why his situation is drawing attention now, even with the Yankees opening the season well.
Yankees pressure and the next move
The Yankees are sitting near the top of the American League East and have started the 2026 season strongly. That success gives the front office some breathing room, but it also raises the stakes when a veteran like Paul Dejong is asking for a clearer role.
For now, Paul Dejong remains in the minors and the Yankees have not made a public move tied to his deadline. If no promotion comes before the end of the month, the next development could be an opt-out decision that quickly reshapes his future and tests New York’s depth plan.
