NEW YORK — Paul DeJong just signed with the Yankees. But something he wrote as a teenager is making headlines all over again. The internet has a long memory. And in this case, that memory involves three words that could not be more awkward.
The veteran infielder agreed to a minor league contract with New York on Saturday. Within hours, an old tweet from October 4, 2011 resurfaced and went viral. The post? Three simple words that now drip with irony.
The tweet that refuses to disappear
“I hate the yankees,” DeJong wrote back in 2011. He was just 18 years old at the time. A teenager posting his feelings about a baseball team. Nothing unusual. Except now he will wear their uniform.
The post has surfaced before. When the Cardinals traded DeJong to the Blue Jays in August 2023, Toronto’s social media team dug it up and embraced it. As a division rival of the Yankees, the Blue Jays celebrated DeJong’s teenage disdain for New York.
The tweet also went viral in August 2022 after DeJong torched the Yankees in a Cardinals victory. He hit a three-run homer off the bullpen to seal a 12-9 win. Fans joked that his childhood hatred fueled the performance.
DeJong grew up rooting against the Bronx
Paul DeJong is a native of Orlando, Florida. He grew up an Atlanta Braves fan. The Yankees beat the Braves in the World Series in both 1996 and 1999. Those defeats likely shaped his earliest baseball memories.
For many players, team allegiances from childhood fade as they climb the ladder to the major leagues. A paycheck tends to wash away old grudges. DeJong will hope that is the case with finicky Yankees fans who have already discovered his teenage post.
The tweet has since been deleted. But screenshots live forever. And social media users wasted no time reminding DeJong of his past words.
The signing itself is straightforward
Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported the deal on Saturday. DeJong signed a minor league contract with an invitation to big league spring training. He will earn $1 million if he makes the active roster.
The 32-year-old brings nine years of major league experience. He was a fourth-round pick by the Cardinals in 2015 and finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2017 after slugging 25 home runs. He made the All-Star team in 2019 when he hit 30 home runs.
But his production has declined sharply. He batted .228 with a .642 OPS in just 57 games for the Nationals in 2025. A fractured nose from a Mitch Keller fastball in April cost him 10 weeks.
The Yankees need infield depth
Anthony Volpe is recovering from left shoulder surgery and is not expected back until May at the earliest. That leaves a hole at shortstop to start the season. Oswaldo Cabrera or Jose Caballero will likely fill in at the position.
DeJong provides insurance. He can play all four infield positions. He started 32 games at third base, 11 at second base, seven at shortstop, and one at first base for Washington last season.
The path to the roster is crowded. Amed Rosario already signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal to serve as the primary utility option. DeJong will compete with Cabrera, Jorbit Vivas, and Braden Shewmake for the final bench spots.
Fans have mixed reactions online
Social media users had plenty to say after the signing became public. Some found the irony hilarious. Others questioned whether DeJong can actually help the team.
One fan on MLB Trade Rumors wrote: “They got the guy for Subway Series games. The only time this guy played well was against the Mets.” Another noted: “Right-handed, hits left-handed pitching well, nice versatile defensive infielder. Perfect signing.”
The skeptics pointed to his strikeout rate. DeJong whiffed at a 33.7 percent clip in 2025. That number will not endear him to a Yankees fanbase already frustrated by the team’s lack of splash moves this offseason.
A low-risk bet that could pay off
This is a classic Brian Cashman depth move. DeJong will likely start the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He becomes the emergency call-up if injuries hit the big league roster.
The Yankees have made similar bets on veterans like Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Marwin Gonzalez in recent years. Experience and versatility matter more than upside in these situations.
DeJong slugged .446 against left-handed pitchers in 29 games last season. That skill alone could carve out a role. For now, Yankees fans will need to accept that their new infielder once proclaimed his hatred for their team. Time heals all wounds. A strong spring training would help too.
What do you think?
