New York Yankees news/rumors: Luke Voit trade nonsense, DJ LeMahieu terms changing, more

New York Yankees, Luke Voit
Sep 25, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA;New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit (45) works out prior to to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The hot-stove months are slow developing this year, but the New York Yankees are still in the middle of rumors as we head into December. Extending DJ LeMahieu remains a priority, and sources close to Empire Sports Media have stated he desires a five-year deal and is willing to take a pay cut in order to stay in pinstripes.

Luckily, the Yankees have several players coming off their payroll, including Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, and JA Happ. That builds to $52 million in open salary cap, let alone the $21 million they’re getting back from Jacoby Ellsbury’s contract. They have more than enough money to sign LeMahieu to a long-term deal.

However, the major concern is that five years is too long, and by the time the contract is up, his value will have dipped significantly. I would make the argument that DJ can play multiple infield positions, eventually transitioning to first base and taking the strain off of his fielding. Considering he earned a .327 and .364 BA the past two seasons, I’d be willing to state that he will still be an above-average player even if he dips down to .270 five years from now with incredible value to the team.

General manager Brian Cashman signed him to a two-year, $24 million deal in 2019, and he has proved his value ever since. He had his lowest strikeout right in his entire career this past campaign at 9.7% and earned the most walks since 2017 with an 8.3% walk rate.

Some believe that LeMahieu could be better suited for first base, which would open up a potential trade for Francisco Lindor from the Cleveland Indians. That would push Gleyber Torres to second base, solidifying the infield for years to come. This would indicate a Luke Voit trade, but I don’t believe the slugging first baseman is going anywhere.

Could the New York Yankees still trade Luke Voit:

If you were in the boat that Voit should be traded based on his increasing value the past two seasons, MLB.com’s Brian Hoch stated the opposite.

“That has been suggested in a few media reports, proposing that the Yankees could cash in on a breakout season in which Luke Voit led the Majors in home runs to obtain a starting pitcher. At this point, that idea does not seem to have generated real traction in the front office. Those around the team believe that Voit’s 2020 performance was real and can be replicated in ’21 and beyond, especially his power and ability to drive the ball to all fields.”

This past season, Voit finished with a league-high 22 home runs and 52 RBIs over just 234 plate appearances. Compared to his 2019 season, he had more home runs in almost half the appearances. He had the lowest strikeout rate in his career at 23.1% and his best defensive performance of his career.