New York Yankees lack of movement prompts DJ LeMahieu to look elsewhere

The New York Yankees were fourth in the league in runs scored last year and still among the top teams in the league.  However, the team has been slow to make a move to re-sign their top offensive player over the past couple of seasons, DJ LeMahieu. In turn, sources close to the situation indicate that LeMahieu is tired of waiting on the Yankees, despite being his preferred team.

LeMahieu is expected to ask more than the $23 million per year over four years that Josh Donaldson got from the Twins and at least as much as the $110 million over a five-year period that the Red Sox dished out for J.D. Martinez.

At 32-years-old, LeMahieu likely will seek a contract to keep him in one location for the remainder of his career. He is now reaching out to teams such as the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodgers, who showed considerable interest. It appears that other potential landing spots include the Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Atlanta Braves. The is a concern that few teams have shown extensive interest in LeMahieu. After all, the hit a league-best .364 last season, a career-high 26 home runs in 2019 and led the league in hitting with the Rockies in 2016 with a .348 batting average. In addition, he’s finished in the top five in the MVP voting the last two years and is adept at playing three positions in the field.

Should the Yankees fail to re-sign LeMahieu, they will likely go with Tyler Wade at second base, unless the team looks for other possibilities in the free agent market. Wade hit only .170 last season with three home runs and 10 RBI in 88 at-bats last season.